West Los Angeles College students, faculty and staff provided a warm welcome reception for Dr. James M. Limbaugh who was selected to be the college's new president, effective October 3, 2016. Limbaugh replaces the interim president Robert Sprague who will return to his long-term post as the vice president of Academic Affairs.
Prior to joining West, President Limbaugh served as interim president at Oxnard College in the Ventura Community College District, where he is credited for his excellence in growing student enrollments and institutional planning, initiating successful student success initiatives, engaging in effective community outreach and partnerships, and successfully acquiring additional resources for the college.
Before Oxnard, Limbaugh's experiences in higher education included service as the Chancellor of Montana State University-Northern as well as increasingly responsible leadership positions at Angelo State University in Texas and Frostburg State University in Maryland.
"It is an honor," he told the crowd "to have been selected to lead this institution. West is on a significant forward trajectory with growing enrollment, the addition of a Bachelor's degree, and a very positive review by the accreditation team. My job is to listen first and to partner with you all to keep this great momentum going." Limbaugh also expressed interest in getting to know the college's community partners and leaders and its political representatives as soon as possible.
Limbaugh has spent his entire career working in higher education including working in custodial services to pay his way through college. "I became especially interested in community colleges while serving at MSU-Northern which offered both Associate and Bachelor degree programs. I could see the immediate impact two-year programs have on peoples' lives and the community. And," he added, "I was very interested in joining the California Community College system because of its reputation for innovative programs and curriculum that focuses on student success."
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