Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez has informed the Board of Trustees of his intention to appoint Denise Noldon, Ph.D. to serve as interim president at Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) effective August 22, 2016. Formal action will take place at the August 10, 2016, board meeting. Noldon is a seasoned administrator with a strong background in community college and four-year university education.
Vice President of Student Services, Howard Irvin, Ed.D., will serve in an acting president capacity until Nolden begins. Nolden replaces Linda Rose, Ed.D. who resigned after two years as college president to become president at Santa Ana College in Orange County. LASC is one of the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD).
“Dr. Noldon is a proven dynamic leader with a heart for student success,” said Rodriguez. “Campus colleagues will find her thoughtful, innovative and relentless in her interest to improve the educational outcomes of students. The community will experience a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of urban education and a commitment to bridge the college and community.”
Noldon is currently serving as interim vice president of student services at Laney College in Oakland, CA. Previously, she was the interim vice chancellor of student services and special programs at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in Sacramento.
“I am excited about the opportunity to engage with the Los Angeles Southwest College community to provide quality educational programs and services to the greater Los Angeles community,” said Noldon.
As interim president at LASC, Nolden will provide executive leadership for the campus, with emphasis on academic programs, campus budgets, enrollment management, human resources, and facilities. She will also engage with the south Los Angeles community and local feeder schools to bolster educational opportunities.
Noldon grew up in Berkeley, California and graduated from Berkeley High School. She earned undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Black Studies, and a Master’s degree in Counseling and Student Development in Higher Education at California State University, Long Beach. She obtained her Ph.D. in College Student Personnel Administration (Higher Education) at the University of Maryland at College Park.
LACCD recently received formal notice from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) that LASC received a Warning during its most recent accreditation review, though it remains open and fully-accredited. A Warning is issued when the Commission finds that a college deviates from the accreditation standards.
The ACCJC provided seven recommendations for LASC to meet accreditation standards. These recommendations represent areas in which the college must make positive change prior to its 18-month follow-up report and visit. The LACCD will work with LASC’s leadership to address the accreditation recommendations. The recommendations highlight the need for integrated planning, addressing issues related to the budget deficit and meeting the needs of students coming from a changing community demographic.
“LACCD is committed to guiding and supporting LASC to success and to improving services to the students and the vital communities the college serves,” said Rodriguez. “We will provide additional resources to support the LASC leadership team craft a new path forward. Through these efforts and in partnership with the college leadership team, I am confident that all accreditation standards will be met, leading to improvements throughout the college.”
