HUNTINGTON BEACH : New Search for College President

Unable to choose between two finalists, officials have thrown in the towel on their five-month effort to hire a new president for Golden West College and have announced they will start the entire selection process all over again.

Members of the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees sent a memo to Golden West College faculty Friday, announcing that they failed to reach a consensus on a new president.

They told the teachers that they are starting immediately on a new quest and hope to name a new president in about six months.

Board members said they plan to appoint as soon as possible an interim president who may serve until the first of next year.

The trustees, who conferred behind closed doors last week and again at a special meeting Thursday night, failed to choose between the two finalists--Constance M. Carroll, president of Saddleback Community College, and James Kossler, vice president of Pasadena City College.

Officials said both Carroll and Kossler were good candidates who each had strong backing from board members.

Trustee Sherry L. Baum said she was disappointed that a new president will not be on hand for the start of the new school year that begins on Aug. 17. The presence of a president was important for faculty morale, she said.

But it is even more important, she said, to select a new president only after achieving a strong consensus on the board.

The search began in March, two months after college President Judith Valles announced plans to retire to spend more time with her family.

Valles’ contract runs through Aug. 31, but she is on vacation and will be away from campus all of this month, an official said.

A Golden West College faculty member said teachers felt let down Friday when they learned that they will be without a permanent leader as the new school year gets underway.

“Both were apparently good candidates,” he said. “This is real disappointing. We wanted to keep the momentum going that Judith Valles got started.”

Trustee Paul G. Berger said officials will probably be looking for a retired administrator or college president from outside the district to take over reins on an interim basis until possibly the first of next year.

Golden West College has about 15,000 students. Other schools in the Coast Community College District include Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa and Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley.