Gianni DiCrosta / Roundup
The Academic Senate plans to create a new position to take charge of the agriculture department’s currently vacant dean spot.
According to Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, Vice President of Academic Affairs, a full-time position is needed in order to give complete attention to Pierce College’s agricultural facilities.
“We need to make sure the lab, which is a 200 acre farm, is in top condition,” said Abu-Ghazaleh. “[We need to] make sure all of our programs are relative to our local industry and [university] transfer programs.”
“We need someone who will be more in touch with the local homeowners associations and be able to interact with the local community,” he added.
Abu-Ghazaleh stressed that the new dean’s role would need to be specialized. The person to fill the spot would need to be able to be on the grounds to supervise the facilities.
The agriculture department is currently being covered by Carol Kozeracki, Dean of Research, Planning and Assessment.
Joy McCaslin, Pierce College’s interim president, believes that creating a new position would improve the efficiency of the agricultural facilities.
“[The facilities are] an incredible resource,” said McCaslin. “It’s one of the things that makes Pierce look so special in the eyes of the community.”
The funds to make a new dean position comes from an industry collaborative grant, SB 70.
The grant originated in the Chancellor’s Office of California Community Colleges.
According to Abu-Ghazaleh, the new dean would be selected once the grant was finalized.
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