Search for Career Center director still underway

Three candidates are vying for the position of Career Center Director.

The wait should be over shortly, according to Shirley Uplinger, vice president for student affairs.

“I have received the selection advisory committee’s recommendation and input from the career center staff,” Uplinger said. “ I’m currently performing a reference check on one or more candidates.”

Depending on the results of the reference checks, Uplinger expects to schedule site visits with the finalists in the next few weeks.

The job search comes as a result of the felony conviction of former career center director, Russell Bruch, for distribution of lewd material to a minor. Bruch served six months in prison and begins a five-year probationary period.

Bruch was relieved of his position at Sacramento State when it was determined that he had used his computer on campus to send sexually explicit e-mail to a 16-year old girl.

As a condition of his probation, Bruch is required to annually register as a sex offender, is prohibited from using the Internet and contact with a minor.

His no contest plea was accepted in exchange for dropping the additional charges of attempted statutory rape, attempted oral copulation, burglary and sending harmful matter with intent of seduction of a minor.

Because the career center director is administratively responsible to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Uplinger continues to manage the responsibilities of the position while actively searching for a suitable replacement.

According to the vacancy announcement, the Director is responsible for providing leadership, vision and strategic planning in developing programs and services for the Career Center.

As part of the interview process, the campus was invited to meet with the candidates during the weeks of Sept. 20 and Sept 27 and submit written comments regarding the candidates to Uplingers’ office.

The candidates who were granted interviews with the advisory committee are Edward Smallman, Marilyn Albert and Connie Harrington.

Smallman has been the Director of Career Services and Placement at Plattsburgh State University in New York since 1997 and previously served as Director of the Office of Career Services at Tufts Universityin Massachussetts.

Albert has spent the last year as the Diector of Information and Events for the San Antonio Food Bank in Texas. Her previous experience includes a period as the Director of Career Services at St. Mary’s College in California and at the University of Missouri.

Harrington has spent the last four years as a Director of Career Services for both the H. John Hines School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in New York and the University of Findley in Ohio.

The advisory committee is made up of Jacob Armstrong, student representative; Ray Banducci, faculty emeritus, counselor education; David Braverman, associate vice president, student affairs; Helen Scully, community member; Jesus Tarango, EOP counselor, academic achievement.