Oxnard College Names CSU Monterey Bay Official as President

OXNARD — Ventura County Community College trustees have tapped the youngest university in the Cal State system for the new president of Oxnard College.

Steven F. Arvizu, executive vice president at CSU Monterey Bay, was appointed to the $110,000-a-year job Tuesday by district trustees, who had searched more than a year to fill the post.

Although he won’t begin his new duties until July 7, Arvizu plans to attend Friday’s graduation so that he can meet the graduates and community members.

“I’m genuinely excited about getting to know the campus. And graduation is symbolically one of the most meaningful activities that students and their teachers do together,” Arvizu said.

Arvizu, himself a product of California’s community college system, said he plans to work closely with the chancellor and the board to help Oxnard College grow and develop.

“I hope to start by learning from those that work at the college about its strengths and needs and, together with them, create a very positive future for our students,” he said.

Arvizu, 54, has a history of bringing people together within the campus community and the community as a whole, Chancellor Philip Westin said.

“The college and the community are in for a real treat as he leads the institution into the next stage of its development,” Westin said.

Arvizu will assume the position held early last year by Elise Schneider, who resigned the presidency to head up the college’s newly created international student program.

Angering faculty members, students and community members, the board of trustees passed over several finalists from within the district for the position--including Moorpark Vice President Darlene Pacheco and interim Oxnard College President Ruth Hemming--and instead opted to begin the search anew.

As a nationwide search began, Judith Valles, retired president of Golden West College in Huntington Beach, was appointed acting president in July 1996.

Consultant Alfred Fernandez, with the American Assn. of Community Colleges in Washington, hosted five meetings in an effort to give the college’s managers, faculty members, students, classified staff and neighbors in the community a chance to participate in the search and determine what challenges would await the campus’ next president.

“There’s several challenges not only for the new president, but for all community college presidents to really forge a vision for the future, because of welfare reform . . . and technology breathing down our backs,” said Valles, a search committee member.

Although Arvizu has a broad educational track record as an administrator, teacher and student, he says he would not be where he is today if it weren’t for his start at a community college.

Before CSU Monterey Bay, where he has helped create international study programs, Arvizu was the dean of graduate studies at CSU Bakersfield. His post-doctoral work includes programs at Harvard, and he was awarded a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stanford University in 1984.

Arvizu has two master’s degrees--one in anthropology from Stanford and another in social science from CSU Sacramento. His bachelor’s degree in education was earned at Fresno State University in 1964 and he has an associate’s degree from Bakersfield College.

Arvizu is married and has three adult children and four grandchildren.