(Update March 18, 2014: Dennis Rome withdrew from consideration due to acceptance of another position) 

The dates and schedules are set for campus visits, interviews and public forums for the four Shoreline Community College presidential candidates.

The candidates and their campus-visit dates are:

Monday, April 7

– Paula T. Langteau, Campus Dean and CEO at the University of Wisconsin-Marinette, in Marinette, Wis.

Tuesday, April 8

– Dennis Rome, Associate Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis.

Thursday, April 10

– Warren Brown, Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Seattle Central Community College.

Friday, April 11

– Cheryl Roberts, President of Chemeketa Community College, Salem, Ore.

Each candidate is expected to go through the same schedule of events on their day, including:

Feedback forms will be available at the public forum sessions. Feedback from those sessions will be collected and forwarded to the board for use in making a final decision.

“I really urge people to come and participate in these open public forums and share your thoughts,” Trustee Shoubee Liaw said.  “The sessions will be open to faculty, administrators, staff, students and the general public.”

On-campus interviews with the four finalists for the president’s position at Shoreline Community College will be scheduled for the week of April 7.

While the schedule is later than anticipated, the college Board of Trustees is committed to finding and bringing the best leadership to the Shoreline, said Trustee Tayloe Washburn, who led the Feb. 26, 2014 board meeting where the decision was made.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are:

• Dr. Warren Brown, Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Seattle Central Community College.
• Paula T. Langteau, Campus Dean and CEO at the University of Wisconsin-Marinette, in Marinette, Wis.
• Dr. Cheryl Roberts, President of Chemeketa Community College, Salem, Ore.
• Dr. Dennis Rome, Associate Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis.

The candidates will be scheduled for individual campus visits over four days; four days, April 7-8, 10-11. No visit is currently anticipated for April 9. While the details will be announced once confirmed with the candidates, each day will include in-person interviews and public forums. Feedback from those sessions will be collected and forwarded to the board for use in making a final decision.

“The board was hit by a perfect storm of scheduling problems” Washburn said. “The good news is that all of our candidates are still in the game and we are moving forward as quickly as we can.”

Washburn noted that the board had pushed for an expedited schedule that brought recommendations from a broad-based screening committee to them in January. Washburn, who participated in the screening committee process, praised the group’s work.

An initial delay came during board diligence in reviewing those recommendations, which then set off a cascade of unintended consequences, said Stephen P. Smith, Vice President for Human Resources and Legal Affairs. Considerations included the Legislature’s schedule for Board Chair Shoubee Liaw who works in Olympia during the session, then spring break when students and faculty aren’t on campus and then start of the new quarter. A final wrinkle came, Smith said, when two of the finalists noted a conflict due to presenting at a prestigious national conference.

The current schedule was approved unanimously at the Feb. 26, 2014 board meeting. The trustees also approved two related motions, dealing with prompt communication of the schedule and agreeing to pay reasonable travel expenses for each candidate and a spouse should they choose.

The Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees will take a little more time before picking the finalists for president of the college.

Board members met in executive session Monday night, Jan. 27, 2014, to review recommendations from a presidential screening committee. Trustees Phil Barrett and Tom Lux were present with trustees Catherine D’Ambrosio, Tayloe Washburn and Shoubee Liaw attending by phone. In the end, the board deferred action. Another meeting will be scheduled and announced as soon as it is set.