Ex-City College chancellor leaves current job City College of San Francisco

ChronWatch_day.jpg ChronWatch; Philip Day, Jr, city college chancellor philip day , / HO ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle Ran on: 04-06-2007 Ran on: 04-17-2007 An unidentified person is carried out of Norris Hall at Virginia Tech, the second target of the gunman who struck there more than two hours after his first attack. Ran on: 04-17-2007 An unidentified person is carried out of Norris Hall at Virginia Tech, the second target of the gunman who struck there more than two hours after his first attack. Ran on: 10-09-2008 Philip Day, ex- City College chancellor. Ran on: 10-09-2008 Philip Day, ex- City College chancellor. Ran on: 05-07-2009 Ex-Chancellor Philip Day is being investigated on suspicion of diverting public funds to political campaigns. Ran on: 07-09-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day quit in 2008. Ran on: 07-09-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day quit in 2008. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-10-2009 Former Chancellor Philip Day was charged with misusing school funds. Ran on: 07-15-2009 Philip Day is accused of shifting college funds to political campaigns. Ran on: 07-15-2009 Philip Day is accused of shifting college funds to political campaigns. Ran on: 01-25-2010 Philip Day, former City College of San Francisco chancellor less ChronWatch_day.jpg ChronWatch; Philip Day, Jr, city college chancellor philip day , / HO ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ProductName Chronicle ... more Photo: The Chronicle Photo: The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ex-City College chancellor leaves current job 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The former chancellor of City College of San Francisco went on unpaid leave from his post as head of a Washington, D.C., education lobby Thursday after he was charged with misusing $150,000 in college funds.

Philip Day, 63, who faces eight felony charges for allegedly using taxpayer funds for political donations and personal expenses, requested the leave from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators because he feared his case would be a distraction, the association's chairman, Dave Gruen, wrote in an e-mail to the organization.

Day, City College's Chancellor from 1998 to 2008, was charged Wednesday with diverting taxpayers' funds to political campaigns for ballot measures that would benefit community colleges. He also was accused of using taxpayers' money to finance a slush fund that paid for alcohol for parties, alumni parking tickets and his $1,800-per-year membership at the City Club of San Francisco.

The district attorney's office began its investigation of Day in response to a Chronicle story on campaign-finance irregularities in a successful $246.3 million City College bond campaign in 2005, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris said.

City College spokesman Larry Kamer said the college has not yet decided whether to take any action against Day's co-defendants, Administrative Services Officer Stephen Herman, charged with seven felonies, and Associate Vice Chancellor James Blomquist, accused of one felony.

Day didn't respond to requests for comment. Jim Collins, lawyer for Blomquist, said he believed his client "has never done anything intentionally wrong." Herman's lawyer, Michael Sweet, said: "He'll be proven innocent."

The three educators are supposed to surrender on their arrest warrants by Tuesday.

The charges were filed at a time when City College is being buffeted by the economic downturn. In an effort to close a $25 million deficit, college trustees have discussed raising money by naming classes after donors willing to pay $6,000 to save such courses as Financial Accounting, Human Biology and Elementary French.

The charges of financial impropriety lodged against Day cast "a shadow over the institution," said Trustee Steve Ngo.

"I am shocked and disgusted and angry that this may have gone on with Chancellor Day at the helm," he said.

Trustee John Rizzo said he was surprised by the allegation of the slush fund.

"We had never heard about it. Our internal investigation did not reveal it," he said, referring to an investigative report the board ordered in response to the Chronicle stories.

But Trustee Lawrence Wong defended Day, whom he called "probably the best chancellor we've had."

The three educators may have broken the law, Wong said, but "none of what was in the complaint ... was for personal gain."

Current chancellor Don Griffin was on vacation and unavailable for comment.