Javaheripour named interim president of Columbia College
Dr. Gholam (G.H.) Javaheripour was named interim president of Columbia College this week following an administrative shuffle initiated by the medical resignation of former Modesto Junior College President Jim Houpis this year, the Yosemite Community College District announced Friday.
Javaheripour, hired as the district’s vice chancellor of educational support services in March 2020 and the former five-year president of Yuba College, will fill the position until a new president is selected through a candidate application process.
“It is an honor to have the confidence of Chancellor Yong and the members of the Board of Trustees with this important assignment at Columbia College,” Javaheripour said in a statement provided by the district. “I’ll strive to support the great work of the college’s faculty, staff and administrators to ensure the success of our students.”
Columbia College is a part of the Yosemite Community College District, which includes Modesto Junior College. Together, they are estimated to serve more than 29,000 students.
“Dr. Javaheripour has great skill sets, and he previously led a college in a multi-college district that is similar in many respects to Columbia College,” said District Chancellor Dr. Henry Yong. “I know he will serve the faculty, staff and students of Columbia College well.”
In his former capacity as vice chancellor of educational support
services, Javaheripour was assigned to oversee IT, HR and institutional effectiveness, planning and accreditation at the district level, according to the district’s news release.
The release also said Javaheripour has experience in disciplines of academia, student services and administrative services. His career in higher education began at the University of New Mexico in 1978. He later joined Gallup Community College in 2001, Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico and Chabot College, Victor Valley College and Yuba College in California. He has served in executive capacities for the past 18 years.
His achievements include developing an extended education network to deliver courses and programs in 13 states and territories, including Puerto Rico and Arizona. Those networks expanded to rural communities in New Mexico for bachelor’s degrees, masters’ degrees, K-12 class and advancement placement classes.
Javaheripour received a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational education from Southern Illinois University, an MBA from Webster University, and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of New Mexico.
Javaheripour is filling the role of Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, who became acting and then interim president of Modesto Junior College earlier this year.
Bandyopadhyay was the president of Columbia College beginning in July 2018. He came to Tuolumne County from Cypress College in Orange County, where he spent nearly 10 years as the director of institutional research and planning and later as executive vice president.
Bandyopadhyay has more than 23 years of experience in higher education. He stewarded Columbia College through a campus shutdown during a contentious district-wide teacher strike in 2018 and through the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Houpis had been out on medical leave since Dec. 8 and tendered his resignation as president of Modesto Junior College earlier this year. He was president of the college for nearly two years.
There are ongoing searches to permanently fill the roles currently occupied by Bandyopadhyay and Javaheripour.
The deadline for prospective candidates to apply for the fulltime MJC presidency is March 19. A search committee consisting of members of faculty, students, classified staff and Modesto community has been identified in order to evaluate the applications and conduct the first-level interviews.