As the search for a new chancellor continues, the TCC community is eager to see who the next chancellor will be.

Erma Johnson Hadley, who died of cancer in October, was a great leader for TCC dedicated to seeing everyone succeed. Now the search is on for her successor, and hopefully our next chancellor will continue all of her great work.

Students said they wanted to see several qualities out of our next chancellor, including many requests for generosity and understanding.

Seeing students succeed is the main focus of our college, and trying to meet their needs can be difficult. TCC is made up of many diverse students who have to endure different challenges. The many ups and downs of life affect the majority of students. Losing friends and family, struggling financially and overcoming many other obstacles can weigh them down.

When students go through ups and downs in college, they would like their chancellor to be considerate of them. Faculty and staff feel this way as well. TCC is great because of the hard work of the entire community. Students, faculty and staff enjoy it when their leader appreciates the work they do by providing kind words and gestures.

Even though Hadley had a visible presence, the chancellor’s office at the May Owen Center is detached from the college’s five campuses. As a result, many students were unaware of her and what her responsibilities were.

The chances of our next chancellor being on each campus on a consistent basis may not be very likely, but making time to visit each campus would mean a lot.

Getting to know students in the hallways, offering them advice and encouragement would be really helpful to them.

TCC is also fortunate to have many activities, organizations and events. It would be nice to see our next chancellor support students and faculty in their endeavors. They love their clubs and organizations. Seeing their chancellor at a play, music recital or intramural sporting event could really be a highlight for TCC students.

Being the leader of a college definitely is not easy, but it is not done alone. With the support of the board, front offices of each campus, faculty and staff, it can be accomplished. Our next chancellor should trust in his or her team.

TCC has many employees who do a great job in helping our school run smoothly. Their input as well as the input of students can be important when it comes to making some decisions. Students, faculty and staff want their voices heard.

Being the leader of a college is a huge responsibility. Just as we would like to see understanding, support and generosity from the new chancellor, we plan to offer the same in return.