Courier

Media Credit: Brian Warouw Stuart Wilcox turns his focus to five key factors of student and learning services.

Students walk through the L Buildings halls on a daily basis, applying for financial aid, waiting in line to talk to counselors, or even requesting a transcript but they rarely pay attention to the small office in the northwest corner of the building.

Within the office, Stuart Wilcox spends his days as the interim vice president of student and learning service-a job that is multi-faceted and yet very familiar to Wilcox thanks to his vast experience at PCC.

Wilcox began his education career as a student at PCC and within a year he had transferred to the University of Redlands where he attained his bachelor's degree in psychology.

After receiving his master's degree in physiological psychology from CSU Los Angeles, he continued on for a Ph.D in educational psychology from the University of Southern California.

Wilcox then went to work within the Los Angeles community college district, working at LA Harbor but the commute was always a daunting one. When a job opened up at PCC, he was eager to return.

"It was like coming home. There's a comfort level here," said Wilcox.

The comfort level proved very important; Wilcox has remained at PCC for 21 years. Over the years he has held a wide range of roles from evening counselor to associate dean of admissions and records until 2001.

He then became the dean of institutional planning and research where he remained until Lisa Sugimoto was appointed interim president and her former position became vacant.

"It helps that I'm new in the position but familiar in the area and within the college," Wilcox said.

For Wilcox, student and learning services is comprised of a mixture of different components. There is the data driven aspect; financial aid, registration, and admissions. Then there are the people oriented EOPS and Psychological Services.

Both aspects are very familiar to him thanks to his experience in data analyzing and counseling. That knowledge allows him to find a balance between the two often-contrasting priorities.

"I try to be both sides of the coin, yin and yang," Wilcox said.

His goal for student and learning services is to return it to President Lisa Sugimoto in as good or better condition as when he received it. Part of this goal is the creation of five focus areas that are key to student and learning services.

Continued...

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