60-Day Update: Leadership Avalanche
CA Community College Leaders Wild Job Shift
In the third week of December 2020, I published a LinkedIn article on the CA Community College Leadership Avalanche. Watching how this wild shift plays out, I decided to create a mini-study, with 60-day updates, until June 30, 2021. I’m not suggesting we need an over-under bet; I am offering these changes will create opportunities and issues that permeate 2021/2022. Hang onto your hats:
Of the 47 positions noted above, two have been posted as filled, at the time of available information for this spreadsheet.
East LA College’s new President Alberto J. Román vacated his previous role as VC, Human Resources @ LACCD.
Southwestern College’s new Superintendent/President Mark Sanchez vacated his previous role as VP, Student Success and Support Programs, Asst. Superintendent @ Cuesta College.
There will be 47 hires in primarily March, April, and May. 18 of whom are chancellors, superintendent/presidents, presidents, and vice chancellors.
Of the 47 positions, how many do you guess will be filled from out-of-state or from a different system in-state? I’ll generously say 25%.
47 positions * 75% = 35 positions on the list above that will create new openings through promotion.
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47 + 35 = 82 key CA Community College leadership roles may change before the Fall semester start. Wow, that’s when we’re bringing students back and encouraging (aka pleading) with stakeholders to all return and consistently follow protocol.
I didn’t track how multiple candidates for each of these roles will take time to prepare packages and interview, in addition to the time the in-house hiring committees spend.
Sixty days ago, there were a few more positions I noted that seem to have disappeared. If you see any, please let me know and I’ll update my numbers.
- 10 Chancellors or Superintendent/Presidents / 73 Districts = 13% of Districts are hiring CEOs in the table above
- 8 Presidents / 116 Colleges = 7% of Colleges are hiring CEOs in the table above
- 6 Vice Chancellors / 73 Districts = 7% of Districts are hiring in the table above, in addition to Chancellors and Superintendent/Presidents (one district has two VC openings)
- 23 Vice Presidents / 116 Colleges = 19% of Colleges are hiring in the table above in addition to Presidents (one college has two VP openings)
It’s time to discuss this avalanche with our executive and management teams, along with our COVID return protocols. We read of anxiety, exhaustion, etc., with our students and college stakeholders. A leadership vacuum will further reduce our effectiveness in supporting students, faculty, and staff.
If your finalists are not amazing, do not hire. Focus on your organization’s health. A great candidate is significant; however, looking at these numbers, please triple-expand your reference checks, leverage your contacts, and make sure the new hire commitment and capacity are true and steadfast. If we are all operating at 85% with COVID and remote work, we do not have the energy to deal with a less than stellar hire, and existing, caring administrators will be stuck covering too many issues and risk burnout.
Think through your needs and priorities for the next three years as we work our way through this pandemic and economic crisis. If the finalist is not an advocate for the future, they won’t be effective in the present. Prioritize care for your immediate college family. There’s time to hire another candidate later or promote an interim from within. A failed search is not ideal, a wrong hire is untenable.
Thanks, Kelly
