SCC board terminates Jeff Jensby

LINCOLN - Amidst teary hugs and handshakes, Southeast Community College- Beatrice instructor Jeff Jensby said goodbye to almost 175 supporting co-workers and former students early Thursday morning.

Jensby has been on administrative leave from SCC surrounding allegations of neglect of duties, incompetence and misconduct in several instances.

In a meeting which began at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and didn’t end until 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Jensby and his attorney Rick Wade held a public hearing with college officials and attorney Neal Stenberg before the SCC Board of Governors.

The meeting focused on whether to terminate or not terminate Jensby’s contract with SCC at the end of his contract term, June 30, 2009.

Attorneys for SCC and Jensby began with opening statements.

Stenberg went first for SCC with a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation laying out evidence he said showed Jensby’s alleged misconduct in connection with a class taught by him, as well as actions in relation to a student.

Stenberg said Jensby taught an online course of AGRI1131 in the Summer and Fall 2006, as well as the Winter 2007 quarters.

Previously, Jensby had taught the course in a classroom setting.

“Most of the materials used in a classroom setting can be adapted to use online,” Stenberg said.

Stenberg said evidence shows Jensby failed to teach much of the curriculum and by the Winter 2007 quarter, he had failed to either read or respond to e-mail starting Feb. 2, 2007 with the quarter ending March 18, 2007.

With an alleged lack of communication due to electronic records obtained by SCC from the online class program, Jensby also did not provide assignments for students.

Even so, almost all students in the class received the grade of “A.”

Dr. Denise Schlake, Dean of the Agriculture Department at SCC-Beatrice stated she had given Jensby several warnings and offered opportunities for help, but Jensby did not respond properly.

On Feb. 28, 2002, records showed that Jensby established a goal to put together AGRI1131 as an online course. He was the only member of the agriculture department to take this initiative.

“Five years later, that goal was not met,” Schlake said.

Schlake referred to several previous concerns outlined in employee evaluations from 1999 to 2002.

Each had sections that required at least a minimal amount of improvement, all three commenting on the need for Jensby to learn to “say no.”

Jensby was accused of “spreading himself too thin” by being involved in too many campus activities, but not completing his required duties within the college.

“He’s so involved with so many small aspects that bigger aspects suffer in terms of completion,” one evaluation read.

“I observed that same kind of conduct,” said Schlake, who has been at SCC since 2006.

After it became aware to Schlake that Jensby had not fulfilled his duties with the online course, deadlines were set for Jensby to complete the design for his online course version.

After several deadlines were not met, Schlake felt it necessary to issue a verbal warning on Oct. 29, 2007.

“I did it so he would take me seriously to make corrections,” she said. “I was hoping to help him.”

Schlake said she instructed Jensby with several directives with such duties as submitting active plans to her. No directives were met as she showed via e-mail correspondence with Jensby and education records following.

In a second case, with a student labeled “Student X” to protect the identity of the person, Jensby was accused of disregard for SCC rules and policies.

Student X received a grade of U by Jensby in a former classroom version of AGRI1131.

A U grade by SCC policy means the student, in order to change the grade, must retake the entire class.

Student X was then signed up for a Winter 2008 online version of AGRI1131 which Jensby allegedly canceled due to the course being incomplete.

Student X then required a course not on the agenda due to time conflicts.

Jensby then had two duties for the Winter 2008 quarter. He was to go through the entire AGRI1131 class in a classroom setting with Student X and in the meantime, work on finishing the online course.

Allegedly, Jensby only met with Student X once and only required him to finish the work which was left unfinished in the previous class, which contradicts SCC policy.

“This may seem like a kindness to Student X, but it’s unfair to every student who has been or will be unable to finish the class because of a U grade. And it’s unfair to the faculty that adhere to the policies,” Stenberg said.

In Wade’s opening statements, he touted Jensby’s success as an instructor, which he said was evident by looking around the room filled with his supporters, most of which were former students and their parents.

Sure, he spreads himself thin, Wade said, but it’s all in the name of the college.

“He promotes the  college as an outstanding premiere instructor,” Wade said, pointing to the plaque Jensby received saying the same thing given by SCC.

“He’s not a slacker. He’s not trying to avoid responsibility,” Wade said.

In fact, Jensby allegedly recognized early on that, due to time constraints as an instructor, with co-curricular campus activities and with his position as program chair in the department, he could not do the online class.

He asked to be relieved of some duties as program chair, but that was not an option, he was told by Schlake.

So the online class kept being pushed back.

“He was the heart and soul of the ag department,” Wade said. “He was one of the best. You don’t want to lose one of the best.”

“There’s much more to Mr. Jensby than would ever be on the screen,” Wade finished to applause.

Robert Morgan, assistant campus director and district learning director, spoke on behalf of SCC, stating that Jensby had plenty of resources for aid if he needed.

Dr. Jack Huck, SCC president, was the last to speak for SCC.

Huck recommended to the board that Jensby’s employment be terminated.

“I like Jeff a great deal,” Huck said, but the alleged conduct was something he was not proud of for the college.

“I’m embarrassed by what I saw,” he said. “And I’m embarrassed by what I have learned about Student X. Throw away any one grading policy, which is what Jeff did, is not acceptable.”

Wade started Jensby’s defense by entering 119 letters of support into evidence. The letters came from friends, students, parents, co-workers and other supporters of Jensby and his position at SCC.

Gage County Supervisor Dave Anderson of Odell spoke on behalf of Jensby.

Though he doesn’t know Jensby personally, Anderson said he knows him  well professionally.

“I’ve got to think that what he has done and what he continues to do is very critical,” Anderson said.

Brad Bargen of Nelson, a former student at SCC, also spoke for Jensby.

“I chose the job I have because of how Jeff taught me,” Nelson said of his position at Superior Deshler as a crop consultant.

“I’m advising farmers on the same thing Jeff taught me,” he said. “I think it would be  a huge loss to lose Jeff Jensby.”

Paul Hay, Gage County extension educator, said he has worked alongside Jensby long before SCC.

Hay said he appreciates how Jensby takes the students around Beatrice and the county and thinks that can help keep those people in the area.

“I think he’s a part of the success of the college in relation to how he markets SCC,” Hay said.

Others speaking on Jensby’s behalf were Susan Fielder, instructional online program designer with SCC-Beatrice, Paul Kampschnieder of Howells, the father of three sons through the SCC program, co-worker Dennis Toalsen of Daykin, Kelly Kennedy, mother of SCC-Beatrice students, Lorraine Kohout, non-traditional SCC student, Lisa Wiegand of Wiegand Farms of Beatrice, and Tom Hermance of the Farmer’s Co-Op in Dorchester.

The public hearing, discussion and executive session deliberation ended  Thursday morning at 3:30 a.m., more than 12 hours after the meeting began.

The board approved the termination of Jeff Jensby’s contract to be effective at the end of his contract term, June 30, with a vote of 7-2.

Governors James Garver, Carl Humphrey, Helen Griffin, Ruth Johnson, Nancy Seim Robert Feit, Jacki Allensworth and Lynn Schluckebier in favor of the termination and Ed Heiden and Kathy Boellstorff against.

After teary goodbyes and promises to keep in touch with students, Jensby said he isn’t sure yet if he’ll attempt to appeal the termination in district court.

Jensby said he felt honored by the 119 letters of support, as well as the room full of supporters.

“We all have the same passion for ag,” he said fighting back tears of his own. “I wish them all the best of luck.”