Ongoing Leadership

John W. “Jack” Bedell, emeritus professor of sociology, has been re-elected to lead Cal State Fullerton’s Academic Senate. It is the seventh time in his 40-plus years on the faculty, and he holds the record for the number of times elected to that leadership post.

Last year, when elected to his sixth term, Bedell became the first faculty member taking part in the university’s Faculty Early Retirement Program to be elected to chair the senate.

Caption: John W. “Jack” Bedell                                                      Photo: Matt Gush Download Photo

The Academic Senate develops, formulates and reviews educational and professional policy that becomes university policy if approved by the CSUF president. Besides faculty members, its membership includes administrators, two students and two staff members.

Bedell and the other faculty members serving as senate vice chair, secretary and treasurer all were elected by acclamation May 17. During the meeting, Bedell commented on the huge number of transitions the campus will be making in the coming year.

“We have to focus on advisement, assessment, developing the program to take us smoke free (a new smoking policy was signed earlier in the senate meeting and scheduled to go into effect in August 2013) and continue to make the appropriate fiscal decisions in what appear to be ever increasing budgetary difficulties,” said the university veteran, who has served in numerous positions on campus since 1969.

Bedell, who will be entering his 26th year this fall on the Academic Senate, has not only served as chair on the campus senate, but also chair of the statewide senate, as well.

His previous terms as chair of the CSUF Academic Senate were 1976-77, 1988-89, 1989-90, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2011-12. In addition, Bedell has been chair of the departments of Anthropology, Sociology and Electrical Engineering, as well as coordinator of the Child Development Program. In addition, he has served on numerous department and campus committees.

Bedell has been an active leader in the community, currently serving on the Orange County Board of Education, and was honored with the organization’s 2010 Marian Bergeson Award, recognizing him for more than seven years of service.

In 2011, Bedell was named vice president of the California County Boards of Education, a statewide organization that advocates on behalf of county boards at the state and federal levels. He was president of the association in 2007.

Elsewhere in the community, Bedell has served as an officer of the Fullerton Civic Light Opera Board of Directors, as well as a member of the boards of the Orange County Area Agency on Aging and Women’s Transitional Living Center, and served on Fullerton’s former Human Relations and Youth commissions.

The Fullerton resident holds a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University.

Joining Bedell on the Academic Senate Executive Committee for 2012-13 are:

Vice Chair — Stephen R. Walk of Fullerton, chair and professor of kinesiology

Secretary — Sean E. Walker of Fullerton, associate professor of biological science

Treasurer — Amir Dabirian of Orange (B.S. engineering-electrical ’85, M.S. engineering-electrical ’88), vice president for information technology/chief information officer

Members-at-large are:

Irene Matz of Cypress (B.A. speech communication ’80, M.A. speech communication ’84), associate dean of the College of Communications

Jon C. Bruschke of Placentia (B.A. speech communication ’88, M.A. speech communication ’90), professor of human communication studies

Lynda E. Randall of Tustin, professor of secondary education

Serving on the Statewide Academic Senate are:

Diana Guerin of Fullerton (M.A. psychology '80), professor of child and adolescent studies. She is the 2012-13 chair of the statewide organization.

Barry A. Pasternack of Santa Ana, emeritus professor of information systems and decision sciences

Stephen J. Stambough of Yorba Linda, associate professor of political science and chair of the Politics, Administration and Justice Division

Media Contact:  Pamela McLaren, 657-278-4852