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Coast Community College District’s National Search for Chancellor Finds Orange County’s Own National Leader
COSTA MESA, Calif.— Board President Jim Moreno announced the appointment of the Coast Community College Chancellor after a closed session meeting of the Board today. After a seven month nationwide search for a Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ding-Jo H. Currie has been selected as Chancellor. The Coast District which includes the three colleges in western Orange County – Orange Coast College, Golden West College and Coastline Community College – is governed by a five member Board of Trustees representing eight different cities. President Moreno stated, “Dr. Ding-Jo Currie was unanimously chosen by the full Board because of her outstanding educational background, leadership experience and skills in higher education. After our nationwide Chancellor search, Dr. Currie emerged as the most qualified candidate among the four finalists. Dr. Currie’s work ethic and entrepreneurial style will enable our Board/CEO partnership to find ways to improve our colleges and achieve even greater student success. Her experience is needed during these challenging times.” Board Clerk Jerry Patterson added that, “our entire Board is thrilled and enthusiastic to have Dr. Ding-Jo Currie join us as a partner to take Coast Community College District and our colleges to a new level. In the face of shrinking financial resources, a wave of new students and new green technologies, we must have the wisdom and leadership to meet the future needs of our students’. Dr. Currie is a tireless leader who knows how to get things done with compassion, competence, integrity, and vision.” Dr. Ding-Jo Currie is well known in Orange County as a visible community leader and a respected national leader in the higher education arena. She most recently served as Board Chair of the American Association of Community Colleges which consists of over 1,200 community colleges nationwide. She currently chairs the Community College Advisory Panel for the College Board. In addition, Dr. Currie is a member of a very prestigious Board of Directors for the American Council on Education, the preeminent association for higher education in the United States. Board Vice President, Dr. Lorraine Prinsky observed that “Ding-Jo Currie is a known leader in the community not only as President of Coastline Community College, but she is also a well known and respected leader at the national level. She stepped up to the plate to become our Interim Chancellor during these tough budget times when a strong and effective leader was essential. She has a solid record. We are proud to have her now as the administrative leader of our District.” Trustees Mary Hornbuckle and Walter Howald echoed the praises of the Board Officers in citing the exceptional abilities and leadership qualifications that Dr. Currie possesses to become Coast Community College District’s next Chancellor. Community Member Bonnie Bruce, Chair of the Chancellor Search Committee commented on the Board’s final decision, “I think the Board has made an excellent selection. Dr. Currie was one of four top finalists recommended by our thirteen-member Selection Committee. These committee members represented all college constituencies and the community, and we were charged with the task of screening, interviewing and presenting three to five candidates for final interviews and selection by the governing Board of Trustees. I am very pleased to have been included in the process as a community member and believe that the Coast District is in good hands now.” Dr. Currie responded to the appointment with gratitude, confidence and a promise to lead the Coast Community College District and its colleges through the difficult times ahead. Dr. Currie added, “I am proud and humbled to serve as the Chancellor as one of the nation’s largest and most dynamic districts. My first priority is to work with our Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, and our communities to weather the worst budget storm in our recent history while maintaining a focus on ensuring the highest quality education for our students’ success. It is going to be a tough road ahead, but with the Board’s vision, our Coast Family’s hard and smart work, along with some shared sacrifices, I know the Coast District will always be a flagship district not only in Orange County but also in the nation.” Dr. Currie has been President of Coastline Community College for the past seven years. She was asked to serve as the Interim Chancellor during the leadership transition period over the past ten months. As the new Chancellor, Dr. Currie will lead the administration of three community colleges annually serving over 60,000 students in western Orange County and an additional 20,000 military students worldwide. The Coast District is the seventh largest college district in the nation and the fifth largest in California. Each college has its own unique character, mission, and programs with national reputation serving students seeking advancement in college degrees, transfers to four year universities, certificates in programs for professional, technical and careers in the workforce, and basic skills for a more successful career and lifelong learning. Dr. Currie earned her Ph.D. degree from the University of Southern California in International and Intercultural Education. She also has a Master’s degree in Personnel Counseling from Wright State University, and two Bachelor’s degrees from Manchester College in Mathematics and Psychology. Dr. Currie will be the first female Chancellor in the Coast District history. She is also one of the first Asian-American women to ascend to the nation’s highest ranking CEO level in a higher education institution. Dr. Currie is a Chinese immigrant from Taiwan and lives in Huntington Beach with her mother, husband and two daughters. The appointment is effective today, November 18, 2009. The Coast Community College District is the ninth largest community college district in the state in credit enrollment, serving 60,000 students each semester. The district is comprised of Coastline Community College headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.
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Coastline’s Instructional Systems Development (ISD) team, in collaboration with the Hewlett Foundation, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the U.S. Department of Education, is wrapping up production on the first English-language learning experience for middle school students in China entitled — The Forgotten World: Zuka Awakens "If the experience in China and the United States is positive, the use of games and speech recognition for learning will rapidly expand," Jones predicts. "Systems that combine natural language recognition with 3-D gaming and expert systems will be the next giant step." |
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Coastline’s Early College High School (ECHS) is a five-year program where students enter as high school freshmen and earn both a high school diploma and an A.A. degree. This program is intended to give students a head start on college and encourage them to transfer to a four-year university, continue in post-secondary education, or pursue a career certificate. Benefits of Coastline’s ECHS program include smaller class sizes, greater access to teachers, and additional academic support through tutorial periods. Plus, the fees are waived for college courses high school students take as part of the ECHS program, and their textbooks for those college courses are loaned to them for free—saving students (and their parents) thousands of dollars |
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