Ohlone to Interview Trustee Candidates

Ohlone Community College trustees are slated to meet today to interview and likely select a candidate to fill a vacant board seat.

The trustee to be selected will be charged with representing the Newark community.

Three candidates will be interviewed: Aref Aziz, an Ohlone student; Vivien Larsen, a former administrator; and Janice Schaefer, a member of the Newark Unified School Board of Education.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the college's Fremont campus, 43600 Mission Blvd., in Room 7101 of the Student Services Center.

Candidates answered many questions as part of the written application, describing whom they feel they will represent and the accomplishments they hope to achieve if selected.

Ensuring the board serves the community and student body "at its maximum potential" is a priority Aziz addressed in his application. He also said that if selected, he hopes to ensure that the college establishes financial stability, addresses its accreditation warnings and focuses on what classes are made available for students.

Laursen hopes to "represent the Newark community in their efforts to advance their educational opportunities." She added that she understands the ever-changing needs of the community based on its demographics and economic impact. If chosen, her focus will be on understanding how the board prioritizes pressing issues and increasing outreach efforts to Latino students.

Community members focused on supporting quality education is the kind of representation Shaefer said she would bring to the board. She added that she will also bring a larger picture of how to serve the Tri-City as a whole despite being a Newark schools trustee. Her goals would be to act for the "betterment of students at Ohlone" and "bridge financial problems through decision-making during these times of crisis."

The candidates will be interviewed in an open session by the current trustees. The new appointed trustee will serve until November 2012, which is the next general election period for the board.

If a candidate is selected, he or she will be sworn it during the meeting. If the trustees are unable to select someone, an election will be pursued, said Shelby Foster, a confidential staff assistant in Ohlone's Office of the President.

A seat on the board became vacant at the death of from cancer on March 11. McMillin had served on the board since being elected in November 2002.