SBCC President/Superintendent Andreea Serban, recently named a finalist for the presidency of Mount San Antonio College, has decided to remain at SBCC after all, Noozhawk confirmed Thursday.
Mount San Antonio College, located in Walnut in eastern Los Angeles County, is seeking a replacement for John Nixon, who plans to retire June 30. Serban was reportedly one of five finalists being considered for the position.
As of Saturday, it was unclear who has been chosen for the position, which Mt. SAC officials said would be announced April 20. However, reports have surfaced that College of the Sequoias President Bill Scroggins could be the choice. According to Visalia’s Valley Voice newspaper, which covers the College of the Sequoias, the college’s board of trustees “sent out an internal memo late Tuesday announcing the board is ‘currently recruiting for the position of interim superintendent/president.’”
Back on the South Coast, Serban has stressed her commitment to the school. She said her decision to stay is independent from the outcome of the search process for the Mount San Antonio position.
“Nothing has changed in how positively I feel about SBCC and the significant and beneficial impact we make on the lives of many every day,” she told Noozhawk in an email.
Serban said she has received “tremendous and renewed support and confirmation” from hundreds of faculty, staff, students and community members in recent months.
“More than ever, the college needs stability in leadership in order to deal effectively with the major fiscal challenges ahead,” she said. “I am here to lead the college and continue our successful and collaborative work with our faculty, staff, students and community. My focus is on the success of our students and college, service to our community and the fiscal stability of the college.”
A petition supporting Serban and signed by more than 730 people was presented to SBCC’s Board of Trustees on March 24, according to The Channels Online, the college’s newspaper.
Earlier that month, Serban had told Noozhawk that the new board majority had made it “necessary for me to consider all possible alternatives.”
Longtime board members were unseated after last November’s election. Drawing on upheaval from the Adult Ed program and changes within SBCC’s parent-child workshops, the four challengers — Marty Blum, Marsha Croninger, Peter Haslund and Lisa Macker — garnered an impressive number of votes.
“I am on record, both publicly and privately, as committed to working with all board members to help ensure their success as trustees and the future success of SBCC,” Serban said then. “To date, these efforts have not resulted in the highly collaborative approach a college president and board must have to successfully confront these unprecedented challenges. It is necessary for me to consider all possible alternatives.”
But on Thursday, Serban said she hopes she and new board members will work collaboratively as they tackle the school’s fiscal challenges.
“I will continue to work toward developing a positive and collaborative working partnership with all trustees to ensure the ongoing success of SBCC,” she said. “The college deserves no less.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.