By Daily Press staff
Santa Monica College has announced that it has scheduled public forums for each of the finalists for the college president position from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 14-16.
Appearing Monday will be Dr. Deborah Blue, vice president of policy and research for the Accrediting Commission for Community & Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in Novato; Tuesday will feature Dr. Chui Tsang, president of San Jose City College; and on Wednesday it will be Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan, president of Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey.
Each of the finalists will spend a full day on campus to appear at the forums and for interviews with the board.
The forums will be moderated by Dr. Narcisa Polonio, vice president of the national Association of Community College Trustees, which has served as SMC’s presidential search consultant. The forum will include opening and closing statements by the candidates and a question and answer session, with questions prepared in advance by representatives of each of SMC’s five constituency groups — students, faculty, classified (non-teaching) employees, managers and community members.
The forums also will be aired, back-to-back, from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16 and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 on SMC-TV Channel 28, which is available to Adelphia subscribers in Santa Monica. The forums will be held in SMC’s pavilion, located at 1900 Pico Blvd. Parking is free.
Videotapes of the forums also will be available in the SMC Library and Malibu Public Library.
Those who attend the forums, see them on television or view tapes may provide feedback to the SMC Board of Trustees by filling out an online finalist assessment form at http://www.smc.edu/supt_president_search/feedback1.htm Last week, the SMC Presidential Search Committee — made up of SMC employees, students and Santa Monica community members — forwarded to the Board of Trustees the names of the three candidates for consideration as finalists for the college president position. The recommendations came after an exhaustive nationwide search.
A new president could be named as early as Dec. 5. The search for a new president began early this year after Dr. Piedad F. Robertson left the chief executive position in January to take the presidency of Denver-based Education Commission of the States. Dr. Thomas J. Donner, former SMC executive vice president, has served as interim president since Jan. 1.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 11, 2005. Read the original PDF.