The San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees interviewed Mesa College President Pamela T. Luster in a public forum on Feb. 22 in an effort to find a replacement for retiring Chancellor Constance M. Carroll.
In two separate one-hour sessions held over Zoom, Luster answered questions and shared her views on adaptability and “economic vitality” in the face of COVID-19 as well as the District’s continuing pursuit of “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“[COVID-19] is the single largest disruption in my lifetime,” said Luster as she talked about the past year’s shift to remote learning and the successful outreach services available to students and employees. Financial aid and mental health services, she noted, have room for improvement.
When asked about the role of community colleges in California’s economic recovery, Luster said she believes in making “a stronger connection with business and industry partners especially given that the workforce is going to change dramatically.” She added that “over 90 percent” of SDCCD graduates “stay in San Diego, so we are creating the workforce of tomorrow.”
She shared her aim of improving support for LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. “Every day, in every way, you have to put an equity lens over the work you are doing,” she said.
Her LinkedIn profile shows that Luster has served in various leadership positions, received her bachelor’s and master’s in speech pathology and audiology from San Jose State University and holds a doctorate in educational leadership and change from Fielding Graduate University.
According to the SDCCD’s Communications and Public Relations website, the Board will complete three other finalists’ interviews over the week of Feb. 22 and expects to announce their decision in late March.
