The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ new dean is likely to serve the college for a long period of time. Associate Dean Richard Cavaletto said hopes the new dean will lead the effort to progression in the next 10 years.
Suha Saya
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The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ (CAFES) search for a new dean has just begun.
Cal Poly Provost Kathleen Enz Finken said possible candidates have applied for the position and a faculty committee will be reviewing all candidate profiles soon.
The committee will be making a selection to limit the number of applicants and will then hold interviews via telecommunication, she said.
Along with the Academic Personnel Office, a search firm — Isaacson, Miller — will assist with the process.
Enz Finken hopes to have a candidate identified in late spring or early summer.
“It’d be great to have someone starting their new position around July 1, when we start the new fiscal year,” she said.
Current CAFES Interim Dean Andrew Thulin will assume the position until the permanent dean is selected, Associate Dean Richard Cavaletto said.
Former dean of 12 years David Wehner stepped down in June 2013 to serve in the Provost’s Office as Interim Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.
Despite leaving his position, Wehner identified the college as one of the most important and most complex at Cal Poly.
“It’s the largest in terms of some of the responsibilities that are involved, second largest in terms of the number of students,” he said. “All the colleges have their courses and students, but this college has so much more.”
Within the CAFES is a business program, an engineering program, science programs and an education program.
“There’s no other college that has the diversity of programs we do,” he said. “We’re essentially like a small university.”
Wehner added that no other college has CAFES’ extent of facilities, responsibilities and the size of product sales.
“We have so many more responsibilities and are involved in so many more things than a typical college at Cal Poly,” he said. “This means that the dean needs to be not only someone that can manage academic programs, but someone who can manage business operations as well.”
Enz Finken agreed.
“The dean position in this college is one of the most important positions for this university,” she said.
Because the CAFES is large and has a prestigious reputation, it plays a vital role in the state and nation in terms of agriculture, she said.
Finken indicated that when looking for someone to serve as dean, they look for a leader.
“This college needs not only someone who has experience in the agriculture industry, but someone who also serves as a very strong fundraiser for the college and can manage the college from a financial perspective and personnel perspective,” she said. “Leadership in those areas is critical.”
Enz Finken also hopes to hire someone who stands behind the student population.
“We need someone who can provide the leadership that the college needs to ensure that we are preparing students for success,” she said. “Students will be able to go out and help address some of these issues — water issues, pesticide issues and environmental issues. It’s important we have someone who supports them 100 percent.”
Because the future dean is likely to serve the college for a long period of time, Cavaletto said he hopes the dean will lead the effort to progression in the next 10 years.
“The search is an intensive effort; it’s a big commitment to have the right person in for the dean,” Cavaletto said. “It’s not something we take lightly.”
The first committee meeting to start the formal process will be held sometime this week, Cavaletto said.
“A lot of effort will be put into this to really identify those individuals that not only have the character, skill sets and traits, but would also be a good fit for Cal Poly — valuing the same things that we do in terms of Learn by Doing, student success and understanding of the undergraduate mission of Cal Poly for students,” Cavaletto said.