College of La Verne president out after 10 months
College of La Verne president Pardis Mahdavi stepped down final week after lower than a yr on the job, citing “private causes” in an emailed announcement, the Los Angeles Instances reported.
Mahdavi was president of the personal California college for less than 10 months.
Her predecessor, Devorah Lieberman, was president for 12 years earlier than retiring in July. Lieberman remained at La Verne on a one-year contract to advise Mahdavi, which made some school members really feel that Mahdavi wasn’t “given the rein to do what she wanted,” the Instances reported. Paul Alvarez, the college senate president, informed the newspaper that there was disappointment “that we let someone who might have made some massive adjustments get away.”
Like many schools, La Verne has additionally skilled enrollment declines in recent times. The college enrolled 5,662 college students in fall 2022, in response to the Division of Training’s Built-in Postsecondary Training Knowledge System. Enrollment hovered at or above 8,000 college students for a lot of the 2010s earlier than slumping close to the tip of the last decade.
Mark Hicks, a member of La Verne’s Board of Trustees, has been appointed performing president. Board chair Anthony Revier introduced the appointment in an e-mail to the campus and stated Hicks would stay within the performing function whereas the college appears for a long term interim president.
Hicks wrote to employees that Mahdavi’s “departure seemingly caught lots of you abruptly and, undoubtedly, raised questions relating to the way forward for college management.” He additionally careworn his intention to “proceed to help the collaborative efforts undertaken by Dr. Mahdavi with school and employees leaders and to proceed to make sure ahead momentum in strengthening our college local weather.”
La Verne has confronted questions on administrative turnover in recent times, with its accreditor, the Western Affiliation of Colleges and Schools, noting issues “in regards to the stability of management and the retention of leaders all through the college” in a report issued final yr.
