Dedicated to antiracist teaching? Open to AI? Fresno’s SCCCD launches chancellor search
The State Center Community College District is officially taking its first steps toward finding a new chancellor to lead the four-college district.
The district’s board of trustees voted to approve the chancellor profile on Wednesday. This officially kicked off the candidate search and followed a two-day series of in-person forums across all four campuses.
Some of the priorities outlined in the chancellor profile include an openness to artificial intelligence, a commitment to antiracist teaching principles, the ability to lead a diverse district and a dedication to closing equity gaps.
The district said it consulted 337 campus voices through surveys to help determine the ideal characteristics for the new chancellor.
The current chancellor, Carole Goldsmith, retires in September and has a salary of $392,934. Compensation for the incoming chancellor is described as negotiable.
Jill Wagner, spokesperson for the district, said it’s currently unclear when the board will select an interim chancellor, as Goldsmith’s replacement doesn’t have to begin until January.
The recruitment process will be open until August 11.
Goldsmith has been the subject of public controversy since hundreds of SCCCD faculty members issued a no-confidence vote in November, citing an alleged culture of retaliation and nepotism. Goldsmith announced her retirement hours before the vote and said the union’s actions did not influence her decision.
Goldsmith said she’d be leaving on her own terms in September, though some faculty members wanted her out of the role immediately. She first began overseeing SCCCD — comprised of Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College and Reedley College — since 2022.
