The prefix “interim” has become common in Cal State Long Beach’s administration.
A wave of interim positions has flooded CSULB, resulting from a domino effect created by former President F. King Alexander’s departure and former Vice President of Student Services Doug Robinson’s retirement.
Interim CSULB President Donald Para, who was appointed in June, said that in his 26 years on campus, he has worked under two interim presidents, but he has never seen the majority of the top five administrative positions in the hands of interim staff.
“It’s unusual for sure, but I’m very confident that we’re going hold the place together pretty well until a new president and a new vice president of student services is named,” Para said.
The top three positions currently occupied on an interim basis include campus president, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs as well as vice president of student services.
Associate Vice President for Legislative and External Relations Terri Carbaugh said these positions will likely remain under interim staff until national searches for a new president and vice president of student services are complete.
According to Carbaugh, the search for a campus president can often take anywhere from six months to a year. The search for a new vice president of student services is expected to begin in September.
In addition to the top three spots in administration, the interim domino effect has trickled down into several other positions on campus.
After Alexander left CSULB, Para was moved up from provost to interim president and David Dowell, the former vice provost, was chosen to step in for Para as interim provost.
Similarly, Mary Ann Takemoto, the former associate vice president for student services, was selected to move in as interim vice president of student services after Robinson retired. Director of the Career Development Center Manuel Perez was then selected to take over for Takemoto.
Chair of the CSULB Academic Senate Daniel O’Connor, who has worked on campus for 19 years, said he is confident in the interim administration as Para and Dowell hold more than 60 years of experience combined.
“They’re not going to be surprised by anything,” O’Connor said. “They’ve all been associates to the positions ahead of them, so they have all had a chance to observe the people in the position for years prior to assuming the positions themselves.”
After taking over as interim president in June, Para said he has yet to be surprised by anything.
“I know the campus, I’ve dealt with the people, I know what we’re about, and I know what our mission is,” Para said. “I don’t think the forward motion of CSULB is going to be impinged. We’re going to keep doing what we need to do.”
O’Connor said the fact that CSULB was able to pull staff from within the campus community to take over until permanent hires are made is a good sign for the university.
“If [the university] had said, ‘Holy crap, this place is in real trouble. We need to get three new people in here,’ then you would have reason to worry, and that would be a sign that things aren’t going so well,” O’Connor said. “But the fact that they are very comfortable promoting people from within means that they have confidence in them.”
Carbaugh said an interim staff also enables the university to conduct a more thorough search for the best possible candidates for each position.
David Hood, a history professor who has been at CSULB since the mid ‘60s, said he agrees with the practice of filling vacancies with inside hires.
“Some faculty will gravitate toward administration. Others will not,” Hood said. “Those who like administration will bring their faculty perspective to the administration, and this is, in my view, a good thing. We know the campus intimately, far better than an outside hire.”
