UCC president announced
School board and search committee work together in winter term

Joseph Olson has been announced as the next president of Umpqua Community College.

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Olson comes to UCC with extensive experience and has had careers in community colleges since 1981. He is currently the vice-president of Military, Community and Economic Development at Cooper Mountain College in Joshua Tree, California and has held the position of vice president four times, dean three times, and has been a president once in the past as well as a director.

Olson has also been a presidential finalist for three other colleges in the past year: Las Positas College in California; Cerro Coso Community College in California; and Clastop Community College in Oregon.

Olson obtained his doctorate in Educational Leadership from East Tennessee State University in 1995, a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology in 1977 and a bachelor’s degree in Crime and Delinquency in 1976, both from Suffolk University.

According to the UCC President’s office, Olson will begin sometime this school year, probably in April, but the exact start date has not yet been negotiated.

The 18 member UCC presidential search committee netted a total of 33 applicants in their country-wide search, which they then narrowed down to four. From there, the board went on to select Olson.

ASUCC Vice President Cody Norris, the only student on the presidential search committee, was impressed both with the pool of candidates and the cooperation of everyone involved. “There was good student representation. It was great working with administration, faculty and board members. They genuinely care about students.”

Norris added, “February was a very busy month, but it was well worth it.”

 In the beginning of February, the Search Committee individually reviewed and rated each applicant and then met with search consultant Pamila Fisher to narrow down the applicants for a first level interview. From there, the pool was narrowed further for second and third level interviews.

The last four finalists were then introduced to the school on Feb. 28 with a campus tour, and then starting at 1 p.m., each of the candidates spoke for one hour at a public forum. Nearly 70 people attended the forums, including board members, members of the Search committee and many staff, faculty and community members.

Tuesday, March 1 the board met to interview the four finalists. Joseph Olson was announced the next day: Wednesday, March 2.

The Mainstream is a student publication of Umpqua Community College.