Trustee Update - March 2026

The Palomar College Governing Board met on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. A significant portion of the meeting focused on the Superintendent/President search, with several key decisions made to move the process forward.

Superintendent/President Search

The Board approved a revised search timeline, updating the one originally proposed by our search consulting firm, PPL. The new timeline is designed to ensure that finalist interviews and public forums take place while faculty are in session, maximizing campus engagement. Flexibility was also built in to accommodate the availability of search committee members—an important consideration given the committee’s size. These adjustments reflect feedback from a prior Board workshop and input from constituency groups. The approved timeline is available on the District website.

The Board also approved the composition of the search committee. After reviewing recommendations from PPL Consultants and considering feedback from faculty representatives, the Board made a slight adjustment by adding one additional faculty representative and reducing student representation from three to two. The Board also moved forward with adopting a neutral chair model.

Search Committee Composition

Voting Members:

• Five faculty members (appointed by the Faculty Senate and Palomar Faculty Federation)

• Four classified staff members (appointed by the Council of Classified Employees)

• Three administrators (appointed by the Administrators Association)

• Two students (appointed by the Associated Student Government)

• Two confidential/supervisory staff members

• One Assistant Superintendent/Vice President (appointed by the Executive Team)

• One community member (appointed by the Palomar College Foundation)

Non-Voting Members:

• Chair: PPL Consultant

• EEO Compliance Officer

The Board also approved the job profile for the position. According to PPL Consultants, the profile serves as a guide for candidate evaluation during screening and interviews. It is not considered a job description or a strategic plan moving forward. It outlines four key areas identified through Board and campus input: enrollment growth, shared governance, fiscal stability, and student success. It is important to note that the job profile is not a strategic plan or a formal job description. During discussion, trustees suggested strengthening language related to cultural competency and clarifying minimum qualifications.

In addition, the Board approved the development of a dedicated website to provide updates and information throughout the Superintendent/President search process.

Additional Board Actions

The Board also approved several operational and partnership items, including:

• An emergency resolution to repair a central plant water leak

• A lease agreement with SDG&E for use of parking spaces at the Escondido Learning Center

• A facility use agreement with UC Riverside for large vehicle emissions testing

• Acceptance of a $100,000 Innovation Grant to support Credit for Prior Learning

For a full review of the March 10, 2026 meeting agenda and materials, please visit the Palomar College website and navigate to the Governing Board meetings page.