David Pelham, Cuesta president, will resign for job at Abu Dhabi college

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• 3 Cuesta president candidates talk accreditation

  3 Cuesta president candidates talk accreditation

  Restoring Cuesta College’s accreditation and securing needed funding in the face of dire state budget cuts dominated a discussion Tuesday among the three candidates vying for the top job at the campus.

  The three finalists for president/superintendent addressed a crowd of about 70 people at a public forum at the college’s San Luis Obispo campus.

  In recent years, Cuesta has struggled with turnover in key administrative positions, fought to retain its accreditation and been forced to make millions of dollars in cuts.

• Three vie for top Cuesta College post

  Three vie for top Cuesta College post

  The search for a new president to lead Cuesta College has been narrowed to three finalists, including interim Superintendent Gil Stork.

  The other two candidates, Willard Lewallen and Ed Knudson, each have more than 20 years of experience in higher education. The three finalists were selected from a pool of 30 applicants by a nine-person committee. The San Luis Obispo County Community College District Board of Trustees is expected to announce its decision in early December. The salary range for the position is $185,000 to $220,000.

  Stork was tapped by the college’s board of trustees to serve as interim superintendent and president of Cuesta College after former President David Pelham resigned in 2009 to take a job in Abu Dhabi.

• Cuesta College could be closed if accreditation requirements aren't met by November

  Cuesta College could be closed if accreditation requirements aren't met by November

  Cuesta College has until November to fix problems noted by the agency responsible for accrediting community colleges or it will lose its accreditation and possibly face closure, school officials announced Monday.

  The college must improve in three key areas — planning and assessment, technology resources, and financial planning and stability — or its accreditation will be revoked.

  It must also make preparations for closure, as required by the commission, should the college fail to meet the requirements. In that process, the dissolution of the college and its resources will be explored, Cuesta President Gil Stork said.

• Editorial: Cuesta at last narrows the field

  Editorial: Cuesta at last narrows the field

  We toss Cuesta College a wilted bouquet for finally closing in on selection of a permanent president, nearly two years after David Pelham resigned.

  Under ordinary circumstances, the time lag might not be a big deal, especially because the college has been under the experienced leadership of interim President Gil Stork. However, Cuesta’s accreditation has been on the line, in part because the accreditation committee found it did not move quickly enough to fill vacancies and interim positions in administration.

  While Cuesta still doesn’t have a permanent president at the helm, at least it’s narrowed the field to three finalists — including Stork — who were introduced Tuesday at a public forum.

• Cuesta women's basketball team loses in Stockton

  Cuesta women's basketball team loses in Stockton

  The Cuesta College women’s basketball team couldn’t cut a four-point deficit with under two minutes left in its game Friday, dropping a 76-67 decision to College of the Canyons at the San Joaquin Delta Tournament.

  Trailing by four, Cuesta’s Emily McCullah missed two free throws with two minutes left, and College of the Canyons pushed the ball up the court to sink a 3-pointer. College of the Canyons then went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the last minute to give Cuesta (7-5) the loss.

  Katie Rodriguez led Cuesta with 27 points, going 7 for 13 from the floor, 2 for 3 from behind the 3-point line and 11 of 14 from the free-throw stripe.