Zena Jackson, vice president for academic affairs at Tarrant County College’s virtual campus, is on administrative leave as of Thursday night, according to an email sent to Connect Campus faculty by interim campus President Kelly Willing and shared with the Report.
This comes weeks after faculty who taught virtual courses through the Connect Campus were told they must repay a portion of their summer salaries because of overpayment. Shelley Pearson, the college’s provost, told the Report Nov. 20 that she was terminated for reasons related to “faculty salary issues at TCC Connect.”
Jackson did not immediately respond to the Report’s request for comment. Reginald Gates, vice chancellor for communications and external affairs, declined to comment and said TCC does not comment on personnel matters.
Deshonta Holmes, vice president of student affairs for the Connect Campus, is filling in for Jackson, Willing’s email read.
Jackson took on her role at TCC in fall 2013 after 28 years at Dallas College North Lake.
In an Oct. 10, 2024, email shared with the Fort Worth Report, Pearson wrote to Jackson and Carlos Morales, then-president of Connect Campus, that faculty would need to teach three to four-and-a-half hours in summer, a requirement that could be met by teaching one course.
Jackson forwarded that email to full-time Connect Campus faculty and wrote that “courses taught beyond this required load will be paid accordingly,” according to the email shared with the Report.
The Nov. 20 TCC board meeting included a closed-session agenda item for trustees to discuss a “TCC Connect Investigation Report.” Gates also declined to comment on the agenda item, saying it was a personnel matter.
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
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Great Job McKinnon Rice & the Team @ Fort Worth Report for sharing this story.
