AUGUSTA, Maine — After receiving just 10 applications from people interested in serving as the Maine Community College System’s next president, the system board has decided to extend the search.
“Because the selection of the next system leader is the most important decision our board will make and because we are extremely fortunate to have a strong management team in place during the transition to a new president, the board has agreed to extend the search,” board Chairman Robert Clark said in a recent email to system employees.
Clark said the delay would ensure the “largest and most competitive applicant pool possible.”
When the search committee held its “initial resume review” in May, it had just 10 applications to look at, according to system spokeswoman Helen Pelletier.
Longtime system President John Fitzsimmons resigned earlier this year under pressure from Gov. Paul LePage. Derek Langhauser, general counsel for the system, stepped in to fill the role until the system found a permanent replacement. Langhauser also serves as a senior member of the system’s leadership team.
Fitzsimmons’ resignation came after several days of pressure from LePage, who criticized the community colleges’ president for being unavailable and too slow to enact the governor’s agenda on higher education.
LePage repeatedly criticized the failure of the community college system to establish complete credit transferability between the community colleges and the University of Maine System, or to adopt the Bridge Year program, which allows students to earn college credit before graduating high school.
On Jan. 12, LePage said community college trustees would “ feel the wrath” if they did not seek to end Fitzsimmons’ 25-year tenure.
The search will relaunch by early fall, with plans to select a new president by the summer of 2016, according to Pelletier.
In the meantime, Langhauser has agreed to serve at least through the end of this year, and he has said he would consider an extension later in the year if needed, according to the system.
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