A group of alumni and parents left angry and frustrated with school officials after the San Juan Basin Technical School board meeting late Thursday night.

Changes the school administration is recommending in response to recent student complaints are inadequate, the critics charged.

Accusations of misconduct, made by former students at the June board meeting, spawned a month-long administrative investigation of the school’s electronics program.

In June, alumni of the school’s electronics program claimed they had been harassed and belittled by instructors and were not able to pass industry certification tests because of inadequate instruction and faulty equipment.

One Class of 2000 graduate complained that his instructor had called him "a stupid little bastard" in class.

Similar complaints were made by students in 1996 and ’97, but were not addressed adequately, some alumni said.

The electronics program trains students on computer and broadcasting systems so that they can certify with the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians, A+ computer certifications, and Cisco Certified Network Associates.

None of the 10 graduating students passed the CET exam on the first try. In past years, the school has had a pass rate of close to 80 percent, but that includes alumni who took the exam as many as four times.

"The education was not presented well at all," said Class of 2000 graduate Jeremy Siscoe. "I came here to learn the theory, and I didn’t learn what I wanted to learn."

After a three-hour closed-door meeting with faculty and administrators Thursday, Chairman Graham Nielson read a short statement addressing the students’ 17 areas of concern.

According to the release, the school is planning to change the program by restructuring the curriculum, the administrative supervision of classes, and the electronics advisory committee. The school also plans to advise students on how to properly register their concerns.

"Inappropriate language or belittling comments directed from any instructor to a student will not be tolerated. Appropriate action will be taken upon verification," the release stated.

This did little to assuage the wrath of former students and their parents. In a question-and-answer period with the chairman and executive director after the meeting concluded, they asked the board to either be reimbursed for their tuition and scholarships, or to re-take the courses under the guidance of other instructors.

"I think you should try to restructure the personnel," said Siscoe. "Whether there is the same personnel here today, or four years ago there’s still problems. What is the reason that the problems are still there?"

Nielsen and Lewis told the students that the board is considering requiring the instructors to take classroom-management courses.

"We are going to put in the tools to make sure this doesn’t occur again," said Lewis. "We talked about write-ups of instructors within appropriate language."

Anthony Valdez, Jr., the head of the electronics department, and Stan Eubanks, an electronics instructor, were named by the students as their instructors. Neither Valdez, Jr. nor Eubanks were present at the formal meeting to answer questions. The board refused to comment on whether disciplinary actions had been taken as a result of the accusations.

Mark and Debra Pearson, ’97 and ’96 alumni respectively, attended both meetings, and expressed outrage that the same problems they brought before the board at that time had not been addressed.

The Pearsons accused the administration of losing student evaluations and letters of complaint from students. "You were there. You knew what was going on," said Debra Pearson to Lewis.

Lewis explained that since some of the personnel had left and he was not executive director in ’96 and ’97, he only investigated allegations made during his tenure.

"To me you’ve still got to look at this whole picture. Why did 10 people fail? Why did someone who got straight A’s the whole year fail the CET?" asked Siscoe.