By Scott Allen and Sana Cole
The Scene staff
Forest Park hosted a “meet and greet” in Café West last week to allow students, faculty and staff to get acquainted with candidates for St. Louis Community College interim chancellor.
The room was filled to capacity. Candidates introduced themselves and answered questions.
“I liked Dennis because he made a joke, and because he’s been a president for 21 years,” said general transfer student Chanel Alexander, 32. “But I wonder how good he is with change. Could he come in and be able to flow with our campus?”
Alexander was referring to candidate Dennis Michaelis, retired president of McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas.
The other candidates are Portia Shields, former interim president of Tennessee State University, and Lawrence W. Weill, retired president of Gordon College in Barnesville, Ga.
“I also liked Portia because she says she works with young people,” Alexander said. “And that’s basically what college is — young people.”
Education major Peter Taylor, 50, said he needs to know more about the candidates before making a judgment, but there are traits he wants in a chancellor.
“Competency, of course, and a bit of experience,” Taylor said. “This isn’t a position for a novice. I believe in grassroots. (The chancellor should be) a person who’s come up through the ranks, who’s been where the students are. We need someone who understands the students, their needs and challenges.”
Forest Park faculty and staff also hobnobbed with the candidates. Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas Walker would like to see a student-oriented chancellor with strong leadership skills.
“We need someone who could help us bring focus on our students in and out of the classroom,” Walker said. “Someone who could help us create a more welcoming environment for our students.”
Current Chancellor Myrtle E.B. Dorsey’s contract runs through June 2014. The St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees voted not to extend it to 2015.
Board members didn’t reveal their reasons to the public.
“That’s a personnel matter,” said Pat Matreci, district coordinator for public information and media relations. “It’s not open for public discussion.”
The board granted Dorsey’s request for a leave of absence at its Sept. 26 meeting. She won’t be returning.
“I speak for the entire board in expressing our appreciation of Dr. Dorsey’s contributions to St. Louis Community College and our wish for her future success,” said board chairman Craig Larson.
Dorsey had several bumps in the road as chancellor, culminating with an explosive controversy on the Meramec campus, where a female student was assaulted April 18. Police arrested the male suspect and quickly released him. It wasn’t until St. Louis news media covered the story that he was rearrested and officials took more serious action.
The board of trustees has named Donna Dare, vice chancellor of academic and student affairs, as acting chancellor.
Until an interim chancellor is hired, the college will rely on the rest of its administrators to run operations on its four campuses, Larson said.
“With this great depth in leadership at St. Louis Community College, and with our strong faculty and staff, we are sure that the college will continue to serve the public as one of the area’s greatest assets.”