The College of the Canyons governing board approved the timeline for the CEO/president search during Wednesday’s meeting and received a presentation on what members of the campus community sought in the next CEO following campus wide forums.
Daylene Meuschke, COC’s classified administrator, vice president of institutional research, provided a summary on key themes that emerged following the stakeholder input process.
The forums were aimed to assist PPL Search Consultants Pam Walker and Jim Riggs to better identify strong candidates and provide transparency so they know what is to be expected.
The presentation included desired leadership attributes, institutional strengths, and major challenges and opportunities.
The forums were given both in-person on Oct. 21 and 22 and the online surveys, which could be accessed through an email invitation, according to the presentation, were open from Oct. 21 through Oct. 27.
The events were open to the campus community only — the general public was not allowed to attend the forums or access the surveys.
The in-person forums saw 112 people attend with 118 remarks captured, and the online surveys had a total of 118 participants and 2,232 responses among five questions were recorded.
“The questions were divided amongst the staff,” Meuschke said during the presentation, and the analyst followed approaches for qualitative data analysis, including inductive coding, which is “starting with no preconceptions of what’s going to emerge from these comments.”
The survey was sent to classified and confidential professionals, part-time and full-time faculty administrators and foundation members and short-term annual employees, she added.
The first questions given at the open forums and survey were about the important personal and professional attributes and characteristics they’d like to see for the school’s future CEO/president.
Many responses included: integrity/ethical, empath and communication, collaborative and inclusive, and strong leadership.
“Clarity in leadership and can lead during volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous times,” read one survey response.
Another read, “Willing to listen to employees, students, and community voices.”
The core themes and takeaways found among the student forums echoed the same sentiments as those of COC employees, according to the presentation.
The second question, which asked about the most desired experiences and skills of an ideal candidate, all had responses focused on fiscal management, experience, leadership and communication.
As the community college seeks its future leader, the COC community also had a chance to share insight on the important and unique strengths the CEO/president should have in mind to successfully lead the school. Many responded with a student-centered mission, academic excellence and program variety, and fiscal stability and strategic growth, the presentation said.
Following the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office taking over an audit looking into the possibility that at least $12 million was misused for hundreds of projects and personal gain over the course of two decades, the forums also revealed that they’re looking for a CEO/president who can rebuild trust between faculty, staff, administration and the board of trustees.
Other findings indicated, according to the presentation, that COC would like to see transparency in decision-making, audits, finances, and leadership actions, tackle toxic work culture, bullying, favoritism, and fear of retaliation, and focus on declining enrollment and retention concerns.
The updated tentative timeline for the CEO/president search approved by the COC governing board on Wednesday is as follows:
- Dec. 1: Finalize search website and recruitment plan.
- Dec. 2: Special board meeting reviewing and approving all components of the search website and search process.
- Dec. 10: First in-person meeting of the search committee orientation.
- Dec. 5-Feb. 2: Launch formal search — open application and recruitment period
To view the full tentative timeline, visit tinyurl.com/2ybpw98a.
