PVCC Puma Press

When PVCC president, Mary K. Kickels, announced her retirement last spring, the district chancellor appointed Paul Dale, then vice president of Learning Support Services, as interim president, a position he holds for the second time in his 12-year tenure at the college.

“I think we are in capable hands with him as an interim,” says former faculty senate president, Jim Patterson. “It’s not like he’s a beginner. He has served an interim here before; however you don’t want to go too long with a president who has ‘interim’ next to his name. You want permanent leadership.”

The question is, in a year when the district has lost $9 million of state money and stands to lose even more next year, does the chancellor go through with a nationwide search for a permanent president, or does he move to save money by appointing Dale to the permanent post?

“The search is good for the college because it’s following the process we do for all employees, which is to look for the best,” says Sue VanBoven, faculty senate president. “And with this role, it is critical we find the best.”

She also says that a search would not only benefit how the school and faculty feel about the chosen president, but also how the president would feel about him or herself. She says that they would know that they were chosen as the best from an elite group and would be proud of that. Dale is expected to apply for the presidency if the search process is initiated.

The faculty had a meeting with MCCCD Chancellor Rufus Glasper on Thursday, Jan. 22, where the majority expressed their want to exercise their right for a search.

“Faculty see it as important to have their input in choosing our president,” says Rick Vaughn, faculty senate president-elect.

There are two ways the district can conduct a search: using a consulting firm (head-hunters) or organizing a search itself.

“A search would cost about $80,000 if a consultant were involved,” says VanBoven. “The Chancellor feels that with the searches that have been done recently, we already have a database (of potential candidates) so he would want to do it without a consultant.”

Also, even though a private search will take a lot more work, it will cost less money, an advantage in light of the current budget crisis.

According to Donna Schober, executive assistant to the chancellor, the search typically required of MCCCD is a vetting process of four steps:
1. It begins with advertising, recruiting, and screening from which a group composed of members from the staff, faculty students, and community announce the top three-to-five strongest candidates.
2. At this point, the identities of the candidates become public and they hold forums, interact with the community and visit the campus.
3. From here, the Chancellor’s Executive Council, which is made up of all the presidents and vice chancellors in the district interview, review and recommend a candidate for the position to the chancellor.
4. It is the chancellor who has the final say.

At present, the decision of whether to conduct a nationwide search has yet to be made, but a tentative schedule has been prepared for the search in the case that the district decides to do it, says Tom Gariepy, district director of marketing and public relations. The district was unwilling to release the schedule as it is tentative.

“He is still listening to input and wants to know what the campus thinks should happen,” says Schober regarding Glasper. “He wants to continue hearing from the college and community.”