After more than 10 years as CEO of the seventh largest community college district in the nation, Vega has accepted a position as Director of the Dubai Men’s College, one of the United Arab Emirates’ Higher Colleges of Technology. He retires from the Coast District June 30, and will begin in Dubai in August of this year.

        “I am so excited,” Vega says, visibly energized by the prospect of his new adventure. “Dubai is an international, multi-cultural city. I was surprised by it when I first went to visit because it was not what I had expected. I didn’t even see a camel until my second visit! The city has positioned itself as a vacation destination for Europeans – it has fantastic beaches, international shopping, dining, resorts, hotels, you name it. It’s a fascinating place to be.”

        The international flavor of the city – and of the entire United Arab Emirates (UAE) – influences its institutions of higher learning, as well. The eleven Higher Colleges of Technology, which include Dubai Men’s College, prepare students for careers in an international environment. UAE nationals – men and women –are offered technical and professional educational programs taught using Western style educational techniques.

        “The colleges really focus on teaching the students to function in an international business setting,” Vega said.

        That means instruction is given in English, and the faculty are almost exclusively from the English- speaking world, including Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. Two-, three- and four-year programs focus on engineering, technology and business.

        “This is such a wonderful opportunity for me,” Vega says. “The students are so enthusiastic and really motivated. And with this position, I will have the chance to interact with them more than I have been able to as chancellor. I have missed that interaction with students, and I am really looking forward to being with them again.”

        As Director, Vega will serve as the CEO of the college, which employs 118 faculty members and serves more than 1,750 students. He will start his new position the same semester that the college moves to a brand new campus, complete with the latest instructional equipment and technology.

        “The job of director is similar to that of any community college president. As such, my primary focus will be to meet the educational needs of the young men who attend Dubai Men’s College and to establish an environment that fosters teaching and learning,” said Vega. “During my time there I’ve learned that the challenges are the same as they are here – various college interests competing for limited resources.”

One Adventure Begins, Another Ends

        When he heads off to Dubai this summer to begin his new adventure, Vega will put an end to a distinguished thirty-year career in California community colleges. More than two-thirds of that career was spent at the Coast Community College District. Last year, he was honored by the Association of Community College Trustees as the 2003 Western Region Chief Executive Officer of the Year.

        Prior to serving as chancellor of the Coast District, Vega was president of one of the District’s colleges, Coastline Community College, for more than nine years. While he is anxious to begin this new chapter in his life, he is philosophical about the career – and the people – he is leaving behind.

        “It has been extremely rewarding to work with the students, faculty and staff in this District – and in this profession nationwide,” he said. “I won’t ever forget these people, or this experience. They will always be with me.”

        Despite the pending bittersweet parting, Vega said that the moment he accepted the position with Dubai Men’s College he knew it was the right one.

        “I just knew it was time to move on,” he said. “I’ve told a lot of my colleagues that while it is important to know when to take a job, it is equally important – maybe more important – to know when it is time to leave. I have been with the Coast District for almost 20 years, and it has been a great experience. But I know that now is my time to do something else. I’m very excited about this next part of my life.”

        Vega will step down June 30, 2004. The Coast Community College District Board of Trustees is in the final stage of choosing his successor, and plans to announce a decision on its selection of a new chancellor within the next few weeks.

        The Coast Community College District is the seventh largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment, serving 55,000 students each semester.  The district is comprised of Coastline Community College headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and KOCE-TV, the district’s public broadcasting station.

 ###