Dean, Assistant To President Hired For Community College

The trustees of Washtenaw Community College appointed a deán of general studies and an executive assistant to the president, and received a report on Ithe search for a deán of occuIpational education last night. Named dean of general studies was Norman C. Olmsted, who has been assistant superintendent of schools in Southfield for the past eight years. The executive assistant is Leland B. Luchsinger, now director of education beyond high school for the Colorado Department of Education. Olmsted assumed his position today. Luchsinger hopes to arrive March 15, but has been asked to stay in Denver until April 1, College President David H. Ponitz said. These appointments nearly complete the six-man top administrative structure of the college. The only post remaining open is that of dean of occupational education. Ponitz said last night that he has received 25 applications for the position, has interviewed six persons and has two more to interview. He said that a person in this field "is the scarcest community college commodity around," and' said many states have or will have openings for the top occupational education jobs in their state departments within the next year. Olmsted as dean of general studies brings to the college "a broad approach to counseling and workshops," Ponitz said. He has implemented "far sighted" counseling and guidance programs, designed new conceptual approaches in mathematics, established several diagnostic reading centers and initiated curriculum workshops, Ponitz said. In addition to his work at Southfield, he has taught a variety of administration courses at Eastern Michigan University. He has served as the central administrator for programs for professional laboratory experience in teaching with the U-M and five of the public and private colleges and universities. He is a member of the curriculum planning committee under the Michigan Cooperative Curriculum Program which advises the state superintendent of education. He has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in school administration, both from the U-M, and is completing his doctórate in college administration and behavioral science at the University. His salary was set at $17,000. Luchsinger has held his present post for the past three years, supervising all community college and adult education programs for the state of Colorado, and directing broad improvement programs in technical and industrial education. He had previously served as coördinator for industrial cooperative training, an apprentice trades supervisor, and a director of student personnel services. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial education and mathematics from Texas A & M College.. In 1959, he received a doctórate in education from the University of Texas, where he pursued an interdisciplinary program in community college administration. His salary was set at $18,500.