There is always a man behind the curtain.
The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District has begun its search for a new district chancellor. The Board of Trustees is anticipated to make its decision by the end of May, and by the following semester the district will have switched from the hands of current Interim Chancellor Judy Walters to the new candidate.
“I am enjoying my time here at CLPCCD,” Walters said. “I believe we’ve helped provide some stability, and it is important for the district to have a person who will be here for several years.”
The reason the search is beginning now is because Walters’ one-year contract will be ending this August. Walters took up her current position at the end of August 2012, succeeding previous district chancellor Joel Kinnamon. Kinnamon had accepted a position at College of the Desert in Palm Springs and became Superintendent/President of the college, effective July 2012.
Here on only an interim basis, Walters has enjoyed all the responsibilities of running a fiscally solvent district, as well as the ups and downs of being interim chancellor.
“An up of being an interim is that you get to work with a number of constituent groups to try and resolve issues that may have been around for a while,” Walters said. “The down part is that an interim does not always get to see the results of that work, because they are here for a short period of time.”
But her days with the district will soon be over, and someone will need to step up to the plate.
Base requirements for a district chancellor include a master’s degree from an accredited institution and “one year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the Chancellor’s assignment,” according to the Chancellor Search Brochure released on the district website.
Those are only minimum qualifications, however. The Board of Trustees is furthermore looking for candidates with doctorates and evidence of successful experience at other institutions. This may result in 10 applications for the job, 20 applications or maybe more.
“There is a hiring committee made of students, faculty and administrators from Chabot, LPC and the District Office,” Walters said. “They will do the initial paper screening and interview candidates sending three to five names forward to the Board of Trustees. There will be forums on the two college campuses and interviews with the board, who will then make a decision.”
The new district chancellor will have to take on all the responsibilities Walters has shouldered in the past nine months. These include making sure that California rules and regulations regarding community colleges are followed, and that the district runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible for both students and employees.
If the new candidate can manage these duties with success, LPC and Chabot should be in good hands.