On-campus interviews with the four finalists for the president’s position at Shoreline Community College will be scheduled for the week of April 7.
While the schedule is later than anticipated, the college Board of Trustees is committed to finding and bringing the best leadership to the Shoreline, said Trustee Tayloe Washburn, who led the Feb. 26, 2014 board meeting where the decision was made.
In alphabetical order, the candidates are:
- Dr. Warren Brown, Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Seattle Central Community College.
- Paula T. Langteau, Campus Dean and CEO at the University of Wisconsin-Marinette, in Marinette, Wis.
- Dr. Cheryl Roberts, President of Chemeketa Community College, Salem, Ore.
- Dr. Dennis Rome, Associate Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis.
The candidates will be scheduled for individual campus visits over four days; four days, April 7-8, 10-11. No visit is currently anticipated for April 9. While the details will be announced once confirmed with the candidates, each day will include in-person interviews and public forums. Feedback from those sessions will be collected and forwarded to the board for use in making a final decision.
“The board was hit by a perfect storm of scheduling problems” Washburn said. “The good news is that all of our candidates are still in the game and we are moving forward as quickly as we can.”
Washburn noted that the board had pushed for an expedited schedule that brought recommendations from a broad-based screening committee to them in January. Washburn, who participated in the screening committee process, praised the group’s work.
An initial delay came during board review of the recommendations, which then set off a cascade of unintended consequences, said Stephen P. Smith, Vice President for Human Resources and Legal Affairs. Considerations included the Legislature’s schedule for Board Chair Shoubee Liaw who works in Olympia during the session, then spring break when students and faculty aren’t on campus and then start of the new quarter. A final wrinkle came, Smith said, when two of the finalists noted a conflict due to presenting at a prestigious national conference.
The current schedule was approved unanimously at the Feb. 26, 2014 board meeting. The trustees also approved two related motions, dealing with prompt communication of the schedule and agreeing to pay reasonable travel expenses for each candidate and a spouse should they choose.