ALAMEDA, CA – The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) has announced the appointment of seven new commissioners effective July 1, 2018 and the election of two commissioners who filled vacancies during the year.

WSCUC Chair Reed Dasenbrock said, “WSCUC elects commissioners with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences to help advance our mission of rigorous quality assurance and continuous improvement. WSCUC has a long track record of promoting innovation and successful outcomes. I am confident the new commissioners will contribute to our next wave of accomplishments.”

“Commissioners work actively to assure institutional quality, accountability, and transparency in service of meaningful educational outcomes for students. We are grateful for their commitment to standards and to advancing postsecondary success in the WSCUC region,” said WSCUC President Jamienne S. Studley.

Commissioners are elected by the chief executive officers of accredited institutions in the WSCUC region from a slate of nominees prepared by a Nominating Committee in accordance with WSCUC Bylaws. They serve three-year terms with the possibility of re-election to a second term. The new commissioners join 26 existing commissioners, including five public members (i.e., members unaffiliated with an institution of higher education).
The new commissioners are:

• Lande Ajose, Executive Director, California Competes (public member)
• Thomas Fleming, Senior Vice President and CFO, Loyola Marymount University
• Gregory Franklin, Superintendent, Tustin Unified (ACS-appointed commissioner)
• Sharon B. Hamill, Professor of Psychology, California State University San Marcos
• Joseph Hoey, Vice Provost for Academic Services, National University
• Jennifer Summit, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, San Francisco State University
• Tracy Poon Tambascia, Professor of Clinical Education, University of Southern California

WSCUC also welcomed two commissioners in December 2017 and June 2018 to fill commissioner vacancies:

• Joseph Castro, President, California State University Fresno (appointed to the Commission in December 2017 to fill a vacancy left by Mildred García)
• Leanne Neilson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California Lutheran University (appointed to the Commission in June 2018 to fill a vacancy left by Bethami Dobkin)

Seven commissioners will conclude their service to WSCUC on June 30, 2018:

• Dick Bray, Superintendent Emeritus, Tustin Unified School District
• Ron Carter, Provost, Loma Linda University
• John Etchemendy, Provost Emeritus, Stanford University
• Dianne Harrison, President, California State University Northridge
• Bill Ladusaw, Emeritus Professor, University of California Santa Cruz
• Devorah Lieberman, President, University of La Verne
• Leah Williams, Public Member

Dasenbrock said, “On behalf of the entire WSCUC organization, I thank our outgoing commissioners for the energy and wisdom they have dedicated to supporting institutional progress and improvement in our region. We sincerely appreciate their commitment and dedication.”

To learn more about WSCUC, visit www.wscuc.org. To see a full list of WSCUC commissioners, click here.

CONTACT: press@wscuc.org