Re “From Out of the West L.A. Campus Mist, Clarity on the Settlement”
Interim President Dr. Rose Marie Joyce said her charge for the 10 months she will lead West Los Angeles College is “to validate where we are and move on with the program.”
Walking into the midst of a sprawling, campus-wide five-year-old construction program that has been pockmarked by disagreements with Culver City neighbors, this will be one of the most demanding assignments of her four-decade career.
The 41-year-old campus historically has been an architectural blend of cozy temporary structures and spacious new or soon-to-be-built buildings, from the front to the back of the sloping campus. Construction is as much a fixture of the campus as the as academics.
“The General Classroom and Student Service Center are a priority right now,” Dr. Joyce said. “We are talking about almost going online. One of my priorities was to make sure that building comes in as expected, that the detail is there. We are hoping it might be finished by the end of spring semester, May-June, so we can move in during the summer.”
With churning turbulence — fairly or not — having been associated with West’s image for years, what was the situation Dr. Joyce found when she arrived on campus near the end of August?
“I have been very impressed,” she said, “with how staff and students are able to navigate this campus with all of the buildings that are being constructed.
“That is a huge challenge. Another challenge is moving into the Math and Science Building.
“Huge, drastic, drastic changes.”
(To be continued)
