At a special board meeting on Wednesday, June 25, the Linn-Benton Community College Board of Education voted unanimously to offer Rita Cavin, Ph.D., an employment contract as President of LBCC.
Upon finalization of the contract, the Board of Education will ratify it at a public meeting.
Cavin, 60, was one of three finalists for the position, including LBCC’s current vice president of administrative affairs, Mike Holland, and president of Marin College, Marin County, California, James Middleton.
“I’m honored to have been selected from such a strong group of finalists,” Cavin said Thursday, “and looking forward to joining the Linn-Benton community and continuing their mission of service and community involvement.”
Cavin is vice president of instruction at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. She has also served as vice president of instruction and dean of administrative and cultural services at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif.
She has a doctorate in higher education from Claremont Graduate School. LBCC Board of Education Chair Janice Horner and Board Members Tom Wogaman and Marshall Johnson visited both of Cavin’s most recent places of employment Tuesday, June 24. The board met in executive session before its public vote. Wogaman read a motion to offer Cavin the contract and Board Member Rich Wendland seconded it.
In a roll call vote, Wogaman, Wendland, Johnson, Horner and board members Hal Brayton, Joseph Novak and Barbara Boudreaux voted in favor of offering a contract to Cavin. The contract negotiations will be conducted by John Young, who has assisted the board in the presidential search process. Once an agreement is reached, the contract will be voted upon by the Board in another public meeting.
“My husband and I are excited about moving to Oregon,’ Cavin said, adding that she has begun house hunting in the area. “We have made an appointment with a realtor, and are planning an extended weekend there soon to view potential properties.”
During her visit to LBCC earlier this month, Cavin met with many staff and faculty, and toured each of the extended learning centers. She says her first priorities are to meet Edward John Ray, recently chosen as Oregon State University’s new president, and to get to know LBCC’s students.
Cavin’s responsibilities at Mt. San Antonio College include strategic planning for all academic programs and services; guiding the campus educational master plan and action plan; managing enrollment; and developing instructional policies and procedures. Cavin also leads the planning and coordination of academic facilities and supervision of 14 construction projects with the recent passage of $221 million bond.
At Mt. San Antonio College, Cavin’s concern that all students deserve to succeed academically has led to an increase in tutorial services, drop-in labs, learning communities, and service learning. She facilitates higher education partnerships with University of California, California State University, regional consortia, Capella University and Southern Illinois University. Under her direction, the college has added animation and histotechnology programs, online classes and geographic information systems curriculum.