Correction 9/29/20 – This story was corrected to reflect the correct titles of Spor.
The vice president of academic affairs, who also took on the position of vice president of student services this semester, stands on the heels of retirement come December.
Dr. Arvid Spor began his career at Citrus College eight years ago as vice president of student services. In 2015 Spor transitioned to the position of vice president of academic affairs. He will retire from the same position in addition to the temporary role of vice president of student services after Martha McDonald resigned from the position Aug. 24.
“Although the positions are similar and there are parts of both jobs that do not require me to do double the work, there is a lot more student interaction as the VP of Student Services,” Spor said.
“As VP of Student Services I work with the Associated Students of Citrus College and also handle discipline, so I see the good and the bad,” Spor said.
Academic affairs also oversees the administration of transfer and vocational instruction programs, the curriculum approval process, online education and the development of course schedules.
“With academic affairs we are primarily looking at the future— six months to a year out, what and when we need to offer with classes, and to make sure we have the faculty with the right skills to foster those courses appropriately, especially today being fully remote,” Spor said.
Prior to Citrus College, Spor was the Dean of Enrollment Services at El Camino College in Torrance for seven years. Spor has been in administration for 26 years doing part-time teaching and counseling.
Like many of his students, Spor began his college journey at a community college with the assistance of Pell grants and financial aid.
“Just like a lot of our students, I had to pay all out of my pocket; my parents didn’t have the money for it,” he said.
His responsibilities in a senior level position create stress, long nights, weekends and work on vacations to maintain a successful community college. The added responsibility of working remotely to get the job done has created extra work.
He wants to leave reassured that Citrus College will stay in high esteem upon his departure.
“There are those who enjoy their job so much that they really don’t want to even retire that are in their 70s or older that still really enjoy their classes, and people enjoy them; and then there are others who look forward to the day they can stop the day-to-day work world,” Spor explains. “I am one of those in that second category.”
After over 20 years of combined experience with California community colleges, he decided that once the accreditation report was through he would hang up his hat and retire.
“I felt like once that was done I could go ahead and retire without leaving the college in an awkward place,” Spor said.
Spor was extremely grateful to be able to work with Superintendent/President Geraldine Perri and the teams surrounding the college.
“Whether in his current role as Vice President of Academic Affairs or in his former role as Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Spor’s steady leadership has benefitted the college immensely,” Perri said in an email.
“(It) seems like almost everyday I’m doing work stuff, even if it’s a holiday or weekend, and it will be nice not to have emails (or) texts about work,” Spor said.
Perri said she is grateful and appreciative of the many years of service that Spor dedicated to Citrus.
“His calm approach and empathetic nature have made him a great colleague, while his ability to foster an atmosphere of collaboration has been invaluable,” Perri said.
“His many contributions to Citrus College will long be remembered, and I am certain that his future will hold many additional opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.”
Spor plans to take up traveling upon retirement, but not just in the form of vacationing.
Spor envisions himself becoming one of the locals in a foreign or exotic country, fully submerging himself into whatever cultural surroundings he is in.
“The country of Croatia would be where I want to go first— I saw a travel show about Croatia that highlighted the seafood,” Spor said. “For those that know me, know that I love fish and seafood so that’s where I’d like to go first.”
