Page 19 - BusinessWest June 12, 2023

ing dean of Online Education and Learning Services at Excel- sior College in New York.
He served in that role for several years before becoming provost for Online Education, Learning, and Academic Ser- vices, and also serving later as dean of the School of Liberal Arts.
During that time in his career, he was able to take part in a number of professional-development opportunities, including the Harvard MLE program, as well as the American Council of Education Fellowship Program and the Aspen Rising Presi- dential Fellowship, which is focused on preparing community- college presidents.
“I’ve really had the opportunity to learn and hone my skills,” he explained. “I think it’s important that you learn your craft — it’s a journey; you continue to work to get better and strive to be better. There’s always room for improvement, and so it’s really important that you stay current and abreast of the trends in higher education to be effective.”
After his lengthy tenue at Excelsior, he became vice presi- dent of Academic and Student Affairs at Columbia-Greene Community College, a role that carried many responsibilities, including student affairs, athletics, events planning, partner- ship development, and more.
It was at some point during his tenure at Columbia-Greene that he reached that point his friend and mentor alluded to: when he knew he was ready to become a college president. But as he mentioned earlier, it’s one thing to be ready, but find- ing the right opportunity is something else altogether.
“I’m very selective — I’m not chasing a title,” he told Busi- nessWest. “I say this humbly, but I could have been a presi- dent a few years ago if I was just chasing a title. It was really important for me to align myself with an institution that I could have longevity with, and I believe Holyoke Community College allows me the opportunity to plant roots in Western Mass. and work with the board of trustees, the faculty, stu- dents, staff, and administrators to carry out its mission.”
Grade Expectations
Which brings him back to that that profile of HCC and how it resonated with him, personally and professionally.
“I actually felt a call to serve — that’s when I knew. I felt I was ready based on what they were looking for and my back- ground; I felt like that profile was calling me.”
And after several rounds of interviews, those conducting the search for a new president would ultimately decide to call him — literally.
And as he winds down at Columbia-Greene, he is looking ahead to July and using his time before the fall semester starts to learn more about the school, the city, the region, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
There are plenty of both, but especially opportunities, he told BusinessWest, adding that, in this time of skyrocketing costs in higher education and ever-greater emphasis on value, community colleges are an attractive alternative — as a place to start, and often as a place to finish.
“Community colleges are, to me, a great pathway to a bet- ter life,” he said. “And when you consider that almost half of all students who are in higher education are enrolled in a community college, I don’t think that’s by accident, because there’s fair criticism about the cost of higher education and how prohibitive it is for some members of community to go to college. The community-college mission of access is one that I cannot underscore enough.
“Community college is a great way to get a quality, afford- able education to advance one’s social mobility, and with mini- mal debt,” he went on. “It gives people a great foundation that prepares them to transition to a four-year institution or to go into the workforce and earn a livable, sustainable wage. That’s why community colleges are near and dear to my heart; thay are an important pathway to the middle class.”
“There’s always room for improvement, and so it’s really important that you stay current and abreast of the trends in higher education to be effective.”
Getting back
to that aforemen- tioned listening tour, Timmons said
Timmons >> Continued on page 51
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