University of Â鶹´«Ã½ Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton has recommended that Joni Onishi be appointed interim chancellor of effective January 1, 2016.
The personnel committee has also recommended Onishi’s appointment and the full Board of Regents will take up the final approval at its meeting on Thursday, November 19.
Onishi is currently the vice chancellor for at Â鶹´«Ã½ CC.
“I am grateful to Joni for assuming this additional responsibility and look forward to working with her as we continue working to move Â鶹´«Ã½ CC forward,” said Morton. “Our goal is to have a new chancellor by July 1, 2016.”
More about Onishi
Onishi has been employed at Â鶹´«Ã½ CC since 1988 and is a tenured faculty member in business education. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from and master’s degree in education from .
Onishi was interim dean for career and technical education from 2007 to 2010 before becoming vice chancellor for academic affairs.
As vice chancellor she has provided strong, consistent leadership in academic affairs. She has made substantial contributions to Â鶹´«Ã½ CC’s accreditation efforts, including playing a critical role in addressing recommendations from the .
Search for a permanent chancellor
A 19-member screening and interview committee has been appointed that includes Â鶹´«Ã½ Community College faculty, staff and administrators, as well as community members. The chancellor position will be prominently advertised nationwide.
The committee will conduct the screening and interview process and submit a list of finalists to Morton.
After a series of campus interviews and public forums with the finalists, the vice president will conduct his own review of candidates and present his recommendation to the Board of Regents.
—By Thatcher Moats