After almost four months of rigorous screening, the San Diego Community College President Search Committee, in conjunction with district Chancellor Constance Carroll, recently narrowed it down to two candidates for the next president of City College.
There were open forums held on Tuesday, April 15 during which the candidates were given time to introduce themselves, and then were asked questions by the audience. Attendees were also issued feedback forms after each session.
Luis P. Sanchez spoke first, and brings to the table a Juris Doctorate (JD) and a Master of Business and Tax Law (LLM) from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and is the son of Mexican immigrants.
He has served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Allan Hancock Community College in Santa Maria, CA since 2001. Prior to working as an administrator, Sanchez practiced and taught commercial and tax law at various Sacramento facilities.
The second session featured the current President of San Diego Continuing Education, Anthony Beebe Ed.D. Since 2006, Beebe has overseen more than 80,000 students annually across seven campuses and 250 community and neighborhood sites.
Beebe is from a small town in Oregon named Talent, holds a Doctor of Education degree from Oregon State University, and is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Fielding Graduate University.
“Whoever is chosen, City College will be in good hands,” stated City College Associated Students Government President Carolina Moreno.
Moreno was the only student representative appointed to the committee, and all members were required to be Equal Employment Opportunity certified by the district.
Moreno stressed that the new president must be approachable and sensitive to the students’ needs, and also should make himself visible on campus.
“From my experience with any administration, sometimes they’re more into the administrative process that they completely forget that they’re working at an educational institute,” added Moreno. “They’re actions impact students.”
Where these forums represented a major step forward in the search, the official decision may not be released until August.
Look for updates at www.sdcitytimes.com.
