CCC, ENMU to discuss school presidential matters

Discussion of college presidents is expected to highlight meetings Tuesday involving Clovis Community College trustees and Eastern New Mexico University regents.

ENMU officials have said for weeks they plan to select a new chancellor and president at Tuesday’s meeting, set for 3:30 p.m. at the university’s administration building. Discussion of the chancellor’s job will be held in executive session, followed by an expected public announcement.

CCC’s trustees are scheduled to meet in executive session at 8 a.m. in room 512 of the college.

“We are just going to be looking at our next move,” trustees President Lora Harlan said when asked about the focus of the meeting. The agenda includes just one topic -- the executive session to “discuss limited personnel matters … threatened or pending litigation.”

CCC President Charles Nwankwo has been on paid administrative leave since August, following an investigation prompted by “no confidence” votes from three professional campus organizations.

Harlan said she was “not at liberty to say” if trustees have received a report from the Albuquerque law firm hired to investigate allegations against Nwankwo.

Nwankwo did not respond to questions from The News last week. He has previously declined to comment on the situation. He is accused of being “an incompetent administrator” who has “done much damage” to the “climate of Clovis Community College,” though specifics have not been made public.

ENMU regents are considering five finalists to succeed Patrice Caldwell as the Portales university’s president and system chancellor who also oversees campuses in Ruidoso and Roswell.

The finalists are:

• Bruno Hicks, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dalton State College. Hicks was also a finalist for the presidency of Northern New Mexico College. That job went to Hector Balderas, now nearing the end of his term as state attorney general.

• James Johnston, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Midwestern State University.

• Gary Ligouri, founding dean, college of health sciences, University of Rhode Island.

• Larry Sanderson, vice president of institutional research and accreditation, New Mexico Junior College.

• James Williams, senior vice president for student affairs (retired), Emporia State University.

ENMU also on Tuesday is scheduled to discuss turf for the softball outfield, along with other routine business.