Joining the many new faces of students and faculty this semester is Dr. Pamela Luster, who takes over as Grossmont’s interim president after the departure of former president Denise Whisenhunt last semester.

Luster will remain interim president until Dr. Lynn Neault, the chancellor of Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, begins the process of selecting a new president. 

After 11 years at Mesa College, Luster retired as president emerita to start Luster Higher Ed Group, where she offers “strategic planning, executive coaching,” and other expertise services from her experience as a leader in higher education.

Luster said she chose to become Grossmont’s interim president after some convincing by Neault and Dr. Jessica Robinson, the president of Cuyamaca College, who are both former colleagues.

Regardless of the interim title, Luster said she is fully committed to improving Grossmont College. “I am all systems go, working really diligently to move the institution forward,” Luster said.

Luster said she hopes to “smooth the on-ramp” for whoever comes after her. “When the president comes in, maybe we’ve moved some obstacles out of the way or we’ve started some good initiatives that they can come in and take over,” she said.

Luster has a history of being an equalizer in education, having served as a co-chair on the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges Task Force on Affordability, Food and Housing. She also co-founded the Equity Avengers, who work with leaders in higher education to address inequities for marginalized communities. Right out of graduate school, Luster became an adjunct professor at West Valley College, teaching students with learning and hearing disabilities, Luster said.

“Pam is super supportive,” said Matthew Ring, a mental health counselor at Grossmont. “We wish that she would come out of retirement and take the job full-time.” 

Luster said one of her major goals while serving as president is to improve campus infrastructure through the existing facilities bond.

“I am a big supporter of making sure we create an environment where people want to come to work every day,” she said. “Because if we don’t, students aren’t going to get what they need from us.” 

Luster said she believes the Accessibility Resource Center and other student services could be centralized in one location, allowing students to come to one place for support instead of “hunting and pecking” for separate buildings on campus.

Recently, enrollment data shows a dip in 25- to 30-year-olds at Grossmont, according to Luster. She said she hopes to offer those students a reason to return to college through career advancement, which would allow them to find jobs that pay a living wage.

Luster said community colleges are like “the Ellis Island of higher Ed,” often representing a diverse community of individuals that benefit from a strong community institution with equitable access to education and career-building resources.

“For me, it’s about creating a sensible belonging for students who want to take advantage of what we do, and not all people arrive with an equal toolkit to be able to do that,” Luster said.

Bernadette Black is one of Luster’s assistants in the academic office. “With her experience, I am confident that her leadership will help Grossmont College meet its mission and vision while supporting the ever-changing needs of our students,” Black said in an email.

Even in the short time Luster has been at Grossmont, she said she has been impressed, noting the exceptional faculty and positive indicators of student success.

“It’s a super friendly place with really smart people who I think really come to work every day, really wanting their students to be successful,” she said.

Luster said she is “always learning,” whether she’s talking to people in her professional life or enjoying a book at home. “If you stop asking yourself to learn new things, then to me, you’re not really a progressive educator,” she noted.

Although it isn’t certain how long Luster will remain interim president at Grossmont, she said she is committed to the abundance of work needed in the present to address barriers to student success.

“There are walls everywhere, and we have to look for them and we have to nudge them over, get a ladder,” she said. “Whatever that looks like.”