After some drama—because, of course, there had to be drama (which you can watch in the video, starting at about 6:55)—the Board of Trustees approved a resolution to hire Dr. W. Hubert Keen as Nassau Community College’s next president. NCCFT Secretary Rich Newman read the following statement on the Executive Committee’s behalf:
We were, as we are sure you were, gratified to learn that the Nassau County Legislature approved the budget that you passed on May 10th, including the tuition increase that has allowed the college to preserve 16 of the 24 temporary full-time lines that we were in danger of losing. We want, again, to acknowledge and express our appreciation for the openness and transparency with which Interim President Dolan and Vice President Reznik engaged with us in the discussions that led up to their decision to submit that budget. That kind of collegiality and collaboration is what we will need to move this college forward, not only in dealing with the immediate challenges posed by Middle States, but in figuring out how to face the many challenges—fiscal, curricular, and otherwise—that lie ahead. We look forward to deepening this new spirit of cooperation, and the sense of purpose that comes with it, as we welcome Dr. Keen to the campus as our new president.
Other items of note from the meeting include:
- The college is considering whether or not to acquire the old Navy Theatre building, which seats around 300 people and is located behind the bookstore parking lot.
- The Board approved the following resolutions:
- raising the minimum wage for student aides to $9/hour as of 8/31/16 and to $10/hour as of 12/31/16
- approval of two Math Department certificates, one in Cybersecurity and one in Information Technology
- The college’s agreement with Interim President Dolan was modified to continue his employment after August 1st—when Dr. Keen takes office—to assist Dr. Keen in making the transition into his new position.