The search for a new vice chancellor of student affairs has been
narrowed down to two candidates, with the possibility of a third
applicant being selected to enter the last round of screening.
Janina Montero, currently vice president for campus life and
student services at Brown University, and Tomas Morales, vice
president for student affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, will be visiting
the UCLA campus in early December for final interviews, said Rene
Dennis, representative of the office of academic personnel.
Student campus groups, as well as administrators, will have
their chance at that time to probe the applicants on a range of
tough issues.
“The December visits will allow the candidates to meet
various stakeholders at UCLA and to assist the chancellor to
determine which candidate is best qualified and represents the
"best fit" for the campus,” said Vice Chancellor Steve Olsen,
chair of the executive search committee.
The candidates, selected by an 11-member search committee, will
be vying for a position vacated in January by Winston Doby, now
vice president for the University of California.
Vice Chancellor for Graduate Affairs Claudia Mitchell-Kearnen
has taken on the duties of the position in the interim.
Olsen said the search, conducted with the assistance of
executive search firm AT Kearney, initially scouted about 75
candidates and retained 11 for interviews on campus.
“I’m happy to report that the candidate pool has been very
strong,” Olsen said. “We have currently invited two
candidates back for further discussions in December, and it is my
hope to invite one additional candidate, but nothing has yet been
scheduled.”
Although he refused to comment on the candidates specifically,
Olsen conceded both were “highly qualified and
accomplished.”
Morales, a native of New York, has been an administrator in
higher education for the past 27 years, including vice president
positions for eight years at The City University of New York and
for 15 months at Cal Poly Pomona.
Montero, who taught Latin American literature at Wesleyan
University in Middleton, Conn., was dean of student life at
Princeton University for seven years before moving to Brown
University in January 2000 to take her current position.
Both Montero and Morales were excited at the prospect of a move
and flattered to have been selected as potential fits for the
position.
Morales said he would encourage students to play an intricate
part in decision making by bringing their ideas to the table.
“The challenge will be to continue working with faculty,
administration and the entire university community to advocate a
student-centered approach,” he said. “Students should
be at the center of all policy and practices at any
university.”
Despite her long history of working collaboratively with
students, Montero said she would be walking into new territory at
UCLA.
“I have a lot of experience working in the private
university system, but the public system will be new to me,”
she said. “So there will be some learning at the
beginning.”
Both candidates said they are looking forward to meeting with
staff and students when they visit in December.