By JW McNay/editor-in-chief
Three finalists have been named to vie for the role of NE Campus president and each will visit the campus to talk at a forum.
Former NE Campus president Allen Goben was removed from the position on the first day of classes in fall 2018, and Tahita Fulkerson took over shortly after as the current interim president.
Now NE Campus moves closer to finding their leader.
The campus president finalists will each speak one day at a forum 1:15-2:30 p.m. in Center Corner (NSTU 1615A) over three days starting Jan. 23.
Kenya Ayers is scheduled to speak first. Ayers is currently the vice president and chair of the board for the Northwest Educational Council for Student Success in the Chicago area. She also previously served as academic dean at William Rainey Harper College from 2012 to 2016. She earned her Doctor of Education from the University of Houston.
Students are invited to participate in “two-way street” communication with the candidates, she said.
“Not only can I share my ideas, but I can also hear from students as well, which is very important to me,” Ayers said.
On a previous visit to NE Campus, she learned about a town hall that took place where students were able to share concerns with the campus administration.
“I was really excited to hear some of the things students were interested in and to think about ways that through my leadership I might be able to affect some of the change that people are looking to see moving forward and to contribute to the district’s priorities as well,” she said.
Beatriz Joseph’s forum is Jan. 24. She is currently the vice president of college services for Palo Alto College in San Antonio and has been in that role since 2009. She earned her Doctor of Education at the University of Georgia.
Joseph said she hopes the forum will teach her more about what the college community values.
“I want to know what you love about being part of TCC Northeast. ‘What do you see as the opportunities for improvement?’” Joseph said.
She said communication between administrators, faculty, staff and students is important, and sometimes not enough time is spent listening to everyone. And meetings, town halls and forums can ensure everyone’s opinion is taken into consideration.
“Transparency is, to me, probably one of the most important things that we need to keep in mind,” she said. “Sometimes we [administrators] make decisions and we know why we make the decisions, but we don’t communicate why, and that creates anxiety in people.”
Pam Anglin will speak Jan. 25. She is currently the president of Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, and has been in that role since 2003. She earned her Doctor of Education from Baylor University.
Anglin hopes to let people know about her background and passion for community college and students and what students want for the future of the campus. She started her educational career at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth but left after she decided to teach at a community college.
“I felt like I owed my education to my start at a community college, and I wanted to give back,” she said. “And so I started teaching at a community college and loved every minute, and so [I] decided to spend the rest of my career working with students.”
After teaching for a while, there were things she wanted to change for students she felt she couldn’t do as a faculty member.
“And so at that point, I decided I wanted to start doing what I needed to do to eventually become a community college president so I could have more impact and have more input into things that affected students’ lives at the college,” she said. “That’s why I do what I do.”
NE Campus President Finalist Community Forum
Jan. 23 – Kenya Ayers, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Center Corner (NSTU 1615A)
Jan 24 – Beatriz Joseph, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Center Corner (NSTU 1615A)
Jan. 25 – Pam Anglin, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Center Corner (NSTU 1615A)
