David Wallace, the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts, will bring an inclusive vision to the largest college on campus, according to Cal State Long Beach Provost Donald Para.
CSULB announced Monday that David Wallace was selected as the new dean for the college and is expected to start July 1. Faculty and staff received the announcement via an email from Para.
“I’m very excited,” Wallace said. “It’s quite an honor to be chosen. It’s the kind of school were students get the education that matters.”
Wallace is currently the chair of the department of writing and rhetoric and a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of Florida.
“David is very committed to liberal arts and has a very successful history,” Para said. “He’s an inclusive leader and a person who likes to include opinions from many people. But when it comes down to decisions, he’ll make them.”
Wallace is very familiar with working with a reduced budget since Florida and California have similar situations with significant cuts to higher education, Para said.
“We’re looking at a significant budget reduction and so is Florida, so he’s very experienced in this type of situation,” Para said.
With more budget reductions looming, Wallace said he understands this is a critical time for the college.
“I’ve been a department chair for four years and have seen a lot of budget reductions,” Wallace said. “The ways in which we respond to reduced resources is very important to keep the quality of education.”
As dean, Wallace said his first priority would be protecting the current curriculum since the college has a record of having a variety of departments that need to be preserved.
Wallace will be on campus April 25 to begin the transition period. During that time he will be consulting with President F. King Alexander, Para, senior staff, academic affairs and department chairs, Wallace said.
Wallace and two other finalists were recommended by the search committee for Para and Alexander to review, Para said. After reviewing the candidates, Alexander and Para chose Wallace and offered him the position.
“He is a very good fit personalitywise to our campus,” Para said. “I think he brings experience and a very good approach to leadership.”
Although the salary range for deans at CSULB varies, Wallace will have a salary of $180,000 when he starts in July, Para said. According to Para, the current CLA Dean Gerry Riposa’s salary is $161,256.
Wallace said he’s excited for his position, but he has been very busy.
“When you move to a job that will keep you even busier than your current job, there are very few moments when you have time to stop and be excited before you just have to dive in,” Wallace said.
Wallace holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.A. degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
he gets paid too much…. he should get paid 60k, about what a tenured faculty member at our school makes!