After the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees failed to select a permanent president at its board meeting last Tuesday, one State University of New York official said the college should look beyond its pool of candidates for the post.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges Johanna Duncan-Poitier told Newsday that SUNY was working with NCC officials to find additional candidates that were not considered before.
“The priority is that we get the right candidate,” Duncan-Poitier said. “We want strong leadership and we are working on that immediately.”
On March 3, Nassau Community College board President Jorge Gardyn announced that the college’s trustees had submitted their presidential selection to the SUNY board following an almost four-year search for a permanent president.
That choice, Gardyn said, was to remain anonymous until the college received Zimpher’s approval.
SUNY spokeswoman Holly Liapis said the SUNY board was prepared to announce its decision at the March 23 board meeting, but the presidential choice, who was later found out to be NCC executive vice president Kenneth Saunders, withdrew his name from consideration.
On Jan. 19, the school announced on its website the four finalists for the post — Gena Glickman, president of Manchester Community College in Connecticut; Tyjuan A. Lee, vice president of student services at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland; Stephen Schoonmaker, former president of College of the Ouachitas in Arkansas; and Kenneth Saunders, who now serves as executive vice president at Nassau Community College.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which accredits the college, released an oral report last month stating the college was not in compliance with seven of the accrediting agency’s 14 quality standards, including in leadership, planning and financial resources.
Duncan-Poitier said the report played a factor in SUNY wanting to look at additional candidates for the open president position.
“We are looking at very specific leadership skills in light of the Middle States report — it is that serious,” she said.
Nassau Community College has been seeking a permanent president since Donald Astrab left the position in July 2012.
Former Great Neck Superintendent of Schools Thomas Dolan has served as interim president since September.
Saunders, who was an administrator at Nassau Community College for more than 13 years, was acting president prior to Dolan’s appointment, until SUNY officials recommended a 60-day limit in June to his tenure as acting president.
Dolan said addressing the “Middle States debacle” and ensuring accreditation was the college’s main goal.
“I don’t know whose fault it is and I don’t care,” he said. “All I know is we must be accredited.”
The Middle States Commission is expected to give the college a final written report Tuesday, Dolan said.
“We must follow the pathway to accreditation,” he said.
