State audit probes how community colleges spent money meant to hire full-time faculty

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY groups, claiming local officials are misspending money meant to hire more full-time professors, have won the attention of state lawmakers who ordered an audit that will be conducted this year.

At issue is $100 million lawmakers approved last year to help districts increase full-time faculty ranks without requiring any reporting to the state community college chancellor’s office on how the money was spent. Lawmakers have ordered the California State Auditor to investigate where the money went.