Fayetteville Technical Community College has formed a committee to oversee its national search for a new president.
Current FTCC President Larry Keen announced his retirement earlier this year effective on Jan. 1, ending his nearly 15-year tenure.
To inform their decision, the search committee will conduct four public forums over the next few weeks.
“The forums are designed to seek the community’s input into the characteristics, skills and talents that FTCC’s next president will need to possess to meet the challenges and opportunities with which the college will be faced,” said an emailed statement from David Williford, chair of the FTCC board of trustees and the search committee.
The forums will be:
- 10:30 a.m. to noon, April 26, Cumberland Hall Auditorium on FTCC’s Fayetteville campus
- 2:30-4 p.m., April 27, Cumberland Hall Auditorium
- 6-7:30 p.m., April 28, Cumberland Hall Auditorium
- 6-7:30 p.m., April 28, at FTCC’s Spring Lake campus
How the forums will work
Sign-ups are not necessary for the public forums. Williford said moderators will call on any attendee who wishes to speak about the presidential search.
Anyone who cannot attend any of the forums can submit their thoughts to a survey online.
Community input from the forums and online survey will receive full consideration in the search, Williford said.
“I believe we need a dynamic leader who is focused on student success and workforce and economic development, but the committee and I are interested in hearing the community’s thoughts and ideas,” he said.
“My own opinion about what FTCC needs in a president may grow as a result of what we hear from the public.”
How the committee will decide
The committee will review applications from its search and interview the top candidates, Williford said.
The committee consists of eight people from the FTCC board of trustees, including Williford, as well as one representative from staff and another from faculty. FTCC Student Government Association President Heather Spexarth is also part of the search.
While the committee will participate in vetting candidates, the ultimate decision will be made by the full board of trustees with the consent of the N.C. Board of Community Colleges, Williford said.
Spexarth, along with past student body presidents, is part of the board of trustees along with other board members on the search committee.
However, the two representatives from staff and faculty on the search committee will not have a direct say on the final decision as no members of either staff or faculty are on the board of trustees.
FTCC faculty and staff will have the opportunity to meet with the top candidates and ask questions, Williford said. Any opinions on the potential presidents can be voiced to the search committee, he said.
The board of trustees’ selection for the next president is expected in September.
FTCC has 27,288 students, including 4,546 full-time students, 9,821 part-time students and 12,921 corporate and continuing education students, according to college staff. It has 771 faculty members.
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