Tate Transfer Reverberates Beyond L.A. Trade-Tech

Fashion program students at Los Angeles Trade-Tech and key members of the industry are attempting to overturn a recent decision by college officials that resulted in the departure of veteran administrator and industry icon Sharon Tate.

Tate was recently transferred to East Los Angeles College after nearly 20 years at Trade-Tech as an instructor and most recently dean of academic affairs. Sources said Tate recently had become vocal about opposing upcoming schedule changes that would affect the fashion department. Those changes involve a switch to a 16-week schedule next fall. The move will significantly shorten the current 20-week schedule but will lengthen courses by 15 to 30 minutes and force programs including fashion to adopt a five-day-per-week schedule from the current four-day schedule.

Tate has been the chief liaison between the college and the apparel industry, and over the years has been instrumental in growing the program to become among the best public programs in the state.

“This is a huge blow to the fashion program here,” said Trade-Tech instructor Carole Anderson. “Sharon has political and industry connections that you just can’t replace. It was a bad business decision.”

Abby Patterson, vice president of student services, said Tate’s transfer was related to a “personnel matter” and declined to elaborate. She did admit, however, that the administration was concerned about alleged faculty-instigated student protests, but didn’t single out Tate. Trade-Tech, which is part of the L.A. Community College District, will be among the last group of schools in the district to adopt the new schedule, which is aimed at boosting enrollment.

At East Los Angeles College, Tate is overseeing programs such as Administration of Justice, Office Administration and Photography. Key leaders in the apparel industry have said they would rather see her at Trade-Tech. Among them is Joe Rodriguez of the Garment Contractors Association, who wrote a letter to the college urging administrators to retain Tate.

“She’s been an effective liaison with the industry and groups like ours for years,” said Rodriguez. “She’s helped the college and the industry reach out to each other. I can’t imagine why the college would do this. If there’s a good reason, I would be open-minded about it, but I haven’t heard one yet. This is tragic.”

Tate told California Apparel News that she was saddened to leave Trade-Tech. “I don’t have that capacity,” she said, after being asked if she would dispute her reassignment.

Anderson said that despite talks with officials, efforts to get Tate back to Trade-Tech have been futile so far. “We’re all committed to the program and our day-to-day focus is in the classroom, but we don’t want to lose the exposure that she gave us,” she said.

Tate’s supporters will be airing out their concerns at an upcoming board meeting on April 18. This latest issue facing the college district is the third in about a year. Personnel moves at Los Angeles Valley College and Los Angeles Southwest College also sparked protests but to no avail.