COLLEGE CANDIDATES QUESTIONED.

Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Four candidates who want the top spot at Glendale Community College were interviewed for the job Wednesday in front of more than 150 students, instructors and administrators.

The open forum in the school's auditorium gave audience members a chance to pepper candidates with questions about how each of them would run the school.

Superintendent/President John Davitt, California's longest-running head of a community college, will retire in June. The administration building at the school already bears Davitt's name in gold lettering, and candidates talked about continuing his legacy.

A search committee found candidates for the job and one man and three women ended up as finalists. Three work at California community colleges and one flew in from Texas, where she works at a four-year university.

"I liken myself to a relay race runner, in that the baton has been passed to me," said candidate Audre Levy, president of Los Angeles Southwest College. "And I will take that baton and run as far and as fast as I can at this institution."

Levy, who holds four master's degrees, talked about staying in touch with students at her campus by talking to them in elevators and sitting in on classes.

Sharon Dyer is president of Cerro Coso Community College, which has five instructional sites spread between Bishop, Calif., and Edwards Air Force Base.

She spoke about vocational programs at her college.

"The high schools have had vocational programs and they have been allowed to dwindle," Dyer said. "We can't have that happen to us. We have to strengthen our vocational programs and give people a chance to make a living."

Bonita Jacobs teaches higher education at the University of North Texas and is also vice president of student development. At one point, she was asked about the role of unions at the school.

Jacobs responded that, coming from Texas, she is not used to dealing with unions, but she respects them.

"What unions can do for our campus is to outline exactly what the rules are so everyone can understand what is expected of them," she said.

Willard Clark Lewallen is vice president of student services at Victor Valley College, and said he would not treat the students like numbers.

"Glendale Community College is not broken," he said. "You're not broken and I'm certainly not going to come in and try to fix (the school). It doesn't need to be fixed."

Today, the college Board of Trustees meets in closed session to interview the candidates. The board is expected to chose a candidate next month, and its choice will start running the 15,000-student campus July 1.

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Glendale Community College president/superintendent candidate Willard Clark Lewallen is questioned by students and others during a forum Wednesday to meet prospective candidates.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News