Interim Chancellor Dennis Michaelis term ends June 2015
By: ASHLEY HIGGINBOTHAM
Staff Writer
Emails were sent out to the St. Louis Community College faculty and staff Tuesday, Sept. 9, saying that the Board of Trustees is currently seeking people who are interested in joining a Chancellor Search committee. The committee will narrow down the search for a new STLCC chancellor.
The emails were sent out with an attachment titled “Search Committee Nomination.”
If interested, recipients will fill out the form and submit it via email no later than Sept.15.
“A search committee’s role is to work with a consultant to review written applications,” STLCC Board of Trustees Chair Craig Larson said.
That consultant is Dr. Presson Pulliams, owner of Gold Hill Associates, a company that focuses on finding chancellors and presidents for community colleges.
“We wanted a person that would really focus on our search personally,” Larson said.
The Chancellor Search Committee will be filled with around 15 members from all campuses.
The members will look over applicants and choose six to eight candidates who will either be brought to St. Louis or interviewed over Skype.
After the interview process of those candidates, the committee will narrow down the number again to anywhere from two to four.
“Those candidates will be sent to the board to interview as finalists,” Larson said.
He said he hopes to have finalists by February or March of 2015 and to name the new chancellor of STLCC by March or April.
The entire process is confidential until the board has interviewed the finalists, at which point their names will be announced.
During Sept. 23-25, around seven forums will be held at all campuses to give the public a chance to hear about what problems face the college, what they would like to see in a chancellor, if they are open to a previous four year university and more about the process.
“As we’re searching for candidates and interviewing them, we will know what to look for,” Larson said.
In regards to what the board wants in a chancellor, Larson said the board will have a discussion for about 45 minutes and find the ones that they feel will be best.
The top three are not in any order. He said the board wants a chancellor who has experience in working with an elected board, because that is how STLCC is run.
“We want someone who can improve the climate through the school,” Larson said.
He said they want a chancellor who listens and provides input.
“We are facing a whole bunch of issues as a community college,” Larson said. “We are declining in enrollment, we have had a number of mistakes made in the past two years that has put a bad light on the college and we need someone who can work to help the employees feel better about working here.”
Lastly, Larson said they want an experienced chancellor that reaches out to the community as a whole.
“It’s critical for employers and individuals to see us as the right place to go for the next step,” Larson said.
He said while working with an elected board and changing the climate of the school are at the top of the list, reaching out to the community “could be the top characteristic” that the board is looking for.
Larson stressed that declining enrollment is an issue not only with STLCC, but with all community colleges.
“We’re just about average, and that just isn’t good enough for St. Louis,” Larson said.
