October 22, 2004

SJECCD appoints new interim chancellor

Board of trustees seeks new acting president for EVC

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

The San Jose-Evergreen Community College Dis-trict Board of Trustees (SJECCD) unanimously appointed San Jose State University’s Dean of Social Work Sylvia Rodriguez Andrew as its interim chancellor in August.

Andrew, 51, replaced former SJECCD Chancellor Geraldine Evans, who retired Aug. 6 after serving the two-college district for more than seven years.

Dr. Sylvia Rodriguez Andrew’s social work expertise is said to be bringing consensus to the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District during a difficult transition year. Photo by Ralph Nichols

Andrew said she’s “on loan” from SJSU after taking a leave of absence from her dean responsibilities. She will return to the university July 1, 2005.

The board has begun a formal search process for a new chancellor to lead the 20,000-student district, which includes San Jose City College (SJCC) and Evergreen Valley College (EVC). Evans’ salary was around $180,000 a year.

“I came with the understanding that I would serve as the interim chancellor for 10 months,” said Andrew during a recent interview from her office at district headquarters on San Felipe Road.

“I saw this as a tremendous opportunity for professional growth. This district is doing some wonderful things. It’s the heart of teaching. It’s a different challenge for me that I’m enjoying very much.”

Richard Hobbs, president of the SJECCD Board of Trustees, said, “We’re thrilled to have a person with such high qualifications. Dr. Andrew is analytical, compassionate and student-centered in every decision she makes.”

Hobbs added that Andrew’s social work background and ability to listen are helping create consensus in the district during a difficult transition year.

Ron Lind, vice president of the SJECCD Board of Trustees, praised Andrew for “hitting the ground running and being an immediate fit with the district’s students, staff and faculty.”

Strong qualifications
Andrew received her law degree at Lincoln Law School in San Jose, her doctoral degree from the University of Texas in Austin, and her master’s degree in social work at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.

“I went to law school at night for more than four years to encourage our faculty to get their doctoral degrees,” she said. The mother of two has had a successful career in higher education, administration and management, research, grant writing and program evaluation as well as political appointments in Texas before relocating to San Jose in 1994.

Her professional activities have included membership on an editorial board, the advisory committee of the Hispanic Research Center in San Antonio, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the High-Risk Adolescents and AIDS Project.

In California, she serves on the board of directors of the Avanti! Foundation in Fremont, Gardner Health Center in San Jose and United Way of Santa Clara County.

Andrew received the Tribute to Women and Industry Award in 1998 from the Young Women’s Christian Association of San Jose. She was named social worker of the year in 1999 by the National Association of Social Workers and the Lincoln Law School outstanding graduate in 2001.

Andrew was also the keynote speaker at the 2002 annual conference of the Latino Social Work Network.

Accreditation process complete
“I bring a new perspective, which is what the board wanted. I think it’s a good thing to come with a different approach,” she said.

Andrew is now busy guiding the colleges through their accreditation process by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. This process comes after the institutions’ conducted self-studies for two years to evaluate their student services and curriculum.

Accreditation is renewed every six years. The commission visited the colleges Oct. 12-13 to finish the accreditation process and will issue a report on its findings in January.

“The faculty at both colleges has done such a tremendous job. They have worked so hard to put the reports together.

It’s been really time consuming, but it’s been wonderful to discover the strengths of both institutions. The faculty is very committed to teaching and student services,” Andrew said.

Interim president of EVC
The board had also asked Andrew to serve as interim president of EVC after former college president Clay Whitlow took early retirement. The board didn’t renew his contract, which expired June 30, 2005. He’s now working on the East Coast for an education group.

Hobbs said, however, the board voted Oct. 18 to seek a new acting president for EVC as it simultaneously searches for a permanent president. The board will announce the new acting president at its Nov. 9 meeting.

“We realized the demands of the position require a full-time college administrator,” Hobbs said, adding that Andrew will serve until that new acting president is found.

Andrew has been splitting her busy work week by serving as president of EVC three days a week and serving as interim district chancellor two days a week at the district headquarters.

“It’s a difficult job, but I’m so committed to doing the best I can for the district. I’m so impressed with the faculty at EVC. They’re the hardest working and most committed faculty and staff you’ll ever find. They really care about the students,” she added.

The board is expecting to hire a permanent president in March and has begun a formal search process.

Large, diverse colleges
EVC enrolls approximately 9,950 day and evening students each semester. SJCC’s enrollment is approximately 9,500. The student bodies are said to be the most diverse in the country, reflecting the changing racial makeup of the state.

EVC’s administrative organizational chart reveals that five of the nine college deans are interims. Andrew said the college is working hard to better define their roles and then find permanent appointments.

Asked if the district is trying to hire more minority faculty members to work at the colleges, Andrew said: “My priority is to find the most competent and best candidates for these positions. We need people who have a commitment to students. We’re looking for people who have strong leadership [skills], are well prepared academically, know something about our students and are vested in their success.

“Those are the people we’re looking for. They should have some experience in working with the diversity of our student body,” she added.

Andrew said the only college administrator she’s hired is Glenn De Guzman, who is working as the new director of student life at EVC.

She explained college deans hire teachers through a search process, which includes assistance from a committee made up of faculty, administrators and students who help interview candidates and make recommendations to the president. The board has the final decision on all hiring.