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Germanna presidential candidate holds forum for faculty and staff

Date published: 12/7/2006

By JEFF BRANSCOME

David A. Sam kicked off a forum with Germanna Community College faculty and staff by volunteering to answer questions "you're not legally allowed to ask me."

Sam, one of three finalists for president of Germanna Community College, outlined his family's modest history at the Fredericksburg campus' Sealy Auditorium.

His grandmother died at age 97 illiterate and with no formal education, he said. And his mother and father were the only high school graduates in their families.

These personal tidbits led him to an off-the-cuff mission statement.

"Our impossible mission, but our hopeful mission, is to be that open door" for people held back by society, their families and themselves, said Sam, vice president for academic affairs at Pensacola Junior College in Florida.

The former business owner and salesman also touched on community outreach, partnerships, fundraising and the need for technology in the classroom.

A partnership between Pensacola's junior college and the University of West Florida recently resulted in a joint nursing program, he said.

After Sam introduced himself, the 20 or so audience members peppered him with questions for about 40 minutes.

A business professor and president of the faculty senate spoke first, bringing up a touchy subject.

"We underserve the minority population," said Tom Howlin, who wondered what can be done to reverse the trend.

When he worked at a community college in Michigan, Sam said, it partnered with black Baptist churches to recruit students.

Several other options include help with financial aid applications and a multilingual staff.

"I don't have any easy answers to this," he said. "It's a crisis in our country."

Deb Leeper, the college's director of institutional effectiveness, asked him about the president's role in evaluating a school.

He said he's been to hundreds of college board meetings, where discussions sometimes center around just budget and facility matters.

"You can balance the budget but not be taking care of the people and the students," said Sam, who has managed more than 60 percent of Pensacola's budget.

Every meeting needs to include updates on the state of academics and student life, he said, including any turnover.

Associate Dean of Instruction Paula Gentry described what she calls the college's "fairly significant turnover."

"We're constantly training [and] replacing, which means we're always in crisis mode," she said.

They may be leaving for higher salaries, Sam said, but "it'd be interesting to find out if there's anything else going on."

Do new employees have mentors, he asked. Are they eased into their jobs? Do they know what they're getting into?

He followed up on some questions by touting his own success stories, such as his role in getting large donations.

"In a sense, I'm still a salesperson," he said. "And my job now is to sell something I firmly believe in."

Leeper said Sam boasts the "heart" for the job and "understands the kind of students we serve."

At the end of his presentation, Sam wished the college luck "and of course if I'm here, I wish you even more luck," he said to laughter.

To reach JEFF BRANSCOME:540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com

David A. Sam Age: 56 Currently: Vice president for academic affairs for Pensacola Junior College in Florida, since 2003. Prior experience: Academic dean/dean of faculty for Jacksonville Community College in Michigan, 1998-2003; interim dean of academic and student services for Oakland Community College's Orchard Ridge Campus in Michigan, 1997-98; interim dean of academic and student services for Oakland Community College's Auburn Hills Campus, 1996-97; He has also held other academic and administrative positions at Oakland Community College, Marygrove College in Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. Education: Doctorate in higher education from Michigan State University; master's degree in English at Eastern Michigan University; bachelor's degree in English from Eastern Michigan University. Future forums Germanna Community College President Frank Turnage plans to retire in January after 20 years at the helm. More than 60 people applied to fill his post. The Virginia Community College System (VCCS), which is overseeing the presidential search, narrowed the pool last month to three finalists: Marsal P. Stoll of Pearland, Texas; Paula M. Gastenveld of Orlando, Fla.; and David A. Sam of Pace, Fla. VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois is expected to select a new president by mid-December. Turnage will remain at Germanna until a new president is in place. All three finalists have visited Germanna campuses this week. Here is the schedule for the remaining visit: Today: Sam will visit the Culpeper facility from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Again, videoconferencing will be available at the Locust Grove campus in Room 100.

Date published: 12/7/2006