GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release)– Chris Hill, resigning as president of the Academic Senate, has been appointed Interim Dean of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Exercise Science/Wellness, effective Jan. 1. 

In her new position, Hill will “provide leadership to the division until a permanent dean is selected,” it was announced by Barbara Blanchard, Grossmont’s vice president for Academic Affairs. “This process to select the permanent dean will begin shortly after the college completes its evaluation of our current administrative structure in Academic Affairs.”

Explaining her decision to resign as Academic Senate president before the expiration of her term, Hill wrote to colleagues that although the deanship is an interim position, “I feel strongly that it will conflict with my role as Academic Senate President.  I will begin serving in the interim dean position on January 1st and thus am submitting my resignation as Senate President effective that same date.

“The -Laws of the Academic Senate state that in the event of resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall fill the unexpired term until a special election can be held.  In this particular case, the unexpired term covers the Spring 2011 semester.  As current Vice-President and President-elect, Sue Gonda can fill the unexpired term and continue serving in her new role through her elected term.  I plan to work with Sue over the semester break to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

“In addition, I was recently selected by the Academic Senate to serve as the faculty co-chair for accreditation (a roughly 3-year commitment).  There is minimal accreditation work to be done during the Spring 2011 semester, specifically the solicitation of steering committee and standard team members.  During this interim dean assignment , I would be happy to continue to serve in this accreditation co-chair role, anticipating the bulk of the work to begin in the Fall 2011 semester.  However, I would only do so with the consent of the Academic Senate.  A discussion of these options can occur at the first senate meeting of the spring semester.

Besides serving as president of the Academic Senate, Hill also has served as a Curriculum Committee Co-Chair and a Department Chair. Hill also “was instrumental in institutionalizing our new annual planning process as well as volunteering her time for several projects and committees including Accreditation steering committee and the institutional effectiveness taskforce.

Hill holds a bachelor’s degree and in Geology and a master’s degree in Geology from San Diego State University. She also holds a master’s degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University and a doctorate in Geology from the University of Southern California.

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Preceding provided by Grossmont Vice President Barbara Blanchard and Chris Hill