By Angel Pena

After a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees on March 17, Interim Norco College President Monica Green was awarded a full-time contract.  

The college has been without an official president since Bryan Reece was put on leave in June.

Green served as vice president of planning and development at Riverside City College as well as dean and vice president of student services at Norco for 10 years before serving as interim president, 

“I’ve been with the district now for over eighteen years,” Green said. “I think it helped to equip me to be prepared to hit the ground running in terms of addressing the issues that needed to be addressed. To ensure that we maintain the continuity of instruction and support services for students as we go through this crisis together.”

Green was appointed during a district wide shutdown affecting Norco, Riverside City College and Moreno Valley College due to the global coronavirus outbreak.

“One of the things that is critical during this time is communication,” Green said. “We have been working hard to make sure that we ensure continuous communication not only with our students, but through the district emails and college specific emails. Also with our college community, faculty, staff and management team.”

Even though Measure A and Proposition 13 did not pass, Green and Norco have a goal for a new educational master plan that takes them out to 2030. This plan includes the vision of a second Norco campus to better help serve the surrounding communities.

“We serve not only Norco but Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley and Temescal Valley,” Green said. “So what we are looking at is continuing efforts to determine where a secondary site will be to better serve our area. We are doing environmental scans right now. So as soon as things begin to calm down, we will  start to work forward on the plan for the secondary site.”

Green has several goals for the future, such as another bond proposal  in the coming years, but before any of these plans come to fruition Green said that the priority of Norco is the continuity of classes.

Norco hopes to achieve greater academic and athletic success with building a second site, according to Green. She said her hope is to offer more programs and athletics with the college’s expansion.

“We know that for us to become a more comprehensive college, we’ve got to expand our academic programs, athletics and courses that are available for our students,” Green said.

Green’s predecessor, Reece, was well liked by the community as well as Norco 

College. Green believes that her tenure in the district and good standing relationships has proven that she is a part of the community.

“I’ve been a part of norco college for the past 10 years so I have built up those relationships,” Green said. “I have regular meetings with faculty. My background is from the student services area. I have always worked very closely with students, making sure that personal contact and lines of communication are there.”

Norco’s new president is confident in her goals and the future of the college, ensuring that everyone is moving in the same direction.

Green’s plans for the future include transforming Norco College into a Guided Pathways institution and switching that narrative from helping students graduate to making the college student-ready.