Written by: Ritchie Bermudez

SAN LUIS OBISPO – At their Nov. 3 meeting, the San Luis Obispo County Community College District Board of Trustees approved Dr. Elizabeth Coria as Cuesta College’s Assistant Superintendent / Vice President of Student Success & Support Programs and College Centers, at the recommendation of Superintendent / President Dr. Jill Stearns.

“There was a strong pool of highly qualified candidates for this position, yet none could match the breadth of student services leadership experience that Dr. Coria brought to the interim role at Cuesta College,” said Dr. Stearns. “I look forward to continuing the work underway at Cuesta with this knowledgeable, proven, and student-forward leader.”

After serving in the interim role since March, Dr. Coria will continue to oversee the Student Success & Support Programs department which provides specialized support and assistance for students to achieve success and attain their academic goals. Dr. Coria will also oversee the North County campus in Paso Robles and the South County Center in Arroyo Grande.

“As Interim VPSS at Cuesta College, I have enjoyed getting to know the Cuesta College community and contributing to the incredible work that is under way to better serve our students,” said Dr. Coria.

Dr. Coria has over 19 years of California Community College Administrative experience. Before her role as Cuesta College’s Interim Assistant Superintendent / Vice President of Student Success & Support Programs, she served as the Interim Assistant Superintendent / Vice President of Student Services at San Joaquin Delta College. She was the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at the City College of San Francisco, where she also served as Dean of Financial Aid & Student Success Programs overseeing Financial Aid, EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs, Guardian Scholars, Homeless-At-Risk Transitional Student Program (HARTS), Scholarships and Student Employment. She also served as Director of Financial Aid, Scholarships and Veteran Services, and Administrator of Student Financial Services at Rio Hondo College and Chaffey College.  

She completed her undergraduate work in Business Administration at Whittier College, attained a master’s degree in Management from the University of Redlands, and completed her doctoral degree in Higher Education Community College Leadership from California State University, Fullerton.  

Dr. Coria is from East Los Angeles, California. She is a first-generation college student, and because of her personal life experiences, she understands the challenges students face in navigating our educational system. She is enthusiastic about assisting students to achieve academic success. 

“I am looking forward to providing leadership to continue our progress with our diversity, equity, and inclusion work, specifically in serving our Latino/a students as a Hispanic Serving Institution,” said Dr. Coria. “Providing access to student support services is critical in order for our students to be successful in completing their educational journey at Cuesta College.”