Wednesday, November 26, 2008
By Tim Woods
Tribune-Herald staff writer
The McLennan Community College board of trustees named three people to be brought in to interview for the presidency of the college at its meeting Tuesday night.
The three have applied to replace Dennis Michaelis, who will end his 21-year presidency when he retires Aug. 31.
The list of applicants to be interviewed includes Utpal Goswami, provost at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz.; Quintin Bullock, provost at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach, Va.; and Johnette McKown, MCC executive vice president.
MCC spokeswoman Lisa Wilhelmi said late Tuesday that board chairman Randy Cox said officials expect to interview the candidates during the next two weeks and did not have a specific time frame for naming Michaelis’ replacement.
Also at the meeting, trustees set the maximum price to build the campus’s new parking garage at $5.45 million.
Edward Mazanec of Waco-based Mazanec Construction, which will build the garage, said at the meeting that construction will begin on the garage first thing this morning.
The new four-story parking garage is set to be completed Aug. 31, and MCC officials have said it is necessary to alleviate parking problems on the campus, which has an ever-expanding enrollment.
The furniture cost for the three new buildings on MCC’s campus — a classroom building, science building and emergency services training center— also was set at just more than $1.35 million. McKown said that price was within $6,000 of the amount originally budgeted for the furniture, which includes desks, tables, chairs, computer tables and trash cans.
Washington, D.C., trip
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, trustees were told that 10 MCC presidential scholars will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration Jan. 20.
Al Pollard, MCC’s vice president for program development, said the students will leave Jan. 19 and will have a full schedule, including a tour of the Capitol, stops at Washington’s various monuments, the Smithsonian Institution and then the inauguration and parade.
While meeting with the students Sunday, Pollard said, he learned that not only have many of the students not been to Washington, several have never traveled by airplane, which he said added to their excitement about the trip.
Talks with Texas Tech
Michaelis also said at the meeting that he has been in recent discussions with Texas Tech University about a partnership for MCC to offer Texas Tech bachelor’s degrees through its University Center.
Michaelis described the talks as “promising” and “exciting,” though he said the discussion is still in the early stages.
twoods@wacotrib.com
757-5721
Comments
By Fred Makes Me Laugh
Nov 26, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this
Does anyone think that Fred actually believes the vitriolic nonsense that he types on these message boards? He has to be the most miserable person on the planet and I really do feel sorry for him.
Yes, Fred, Baylor's tuition is sky high, but Fred, take a poll of some corporate recruiters out there and ask what a Baylor degree is worth.
As for more of Fred's coments the University Center offers courses through UT Arlington and Tarleton (and I believe either SFA or Sam Houston, but not sure on those). Adding Tech will just add more choices for the sudents.
Michaelis has done a good job for MCC. He had big shoes to fill taking over for President Wilbur Ball. He has made great strides for the college and as Community Colleges go, Michaelis has led MCC to being a first rate institution.
And just to clear something up as a preemptive strike against Fred, I'm not a Baylor graduate. Actually I graduated from Stephen F. Austin. I don't live in Waco anymore either, but did for 15 years. I also work as a recruiter for a large national company, and Baylor graduates are a premium find for us. All things being equal between an A&M grad in our field and a Baylor grad in our field I will probably pick the Baylor grad first. Fred is a fool.
By the way, I normally don't answer Fred, but tonight I just couldn't help it. Usually I follow the wise advice of Solomon who said, "Do not make a fool of yourself by answering a fool." (Prov. 26:4 CEV). But today I felt the next verse was the more prudent to follow which says, "But if you answer any fool show how foolish they are so they won't feel smart." (Prov. 26:5 CEV)
By Fred = Loser
Nov 26, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this
Snoopy: Don't try to reason with Fred-he's a loser product of the city he demeans. Don't you know his teachers are proud of him!
By Further Pondrance
Nov 26, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
Let's see how long it will be until this one comes back and bites the McLennan County taxpayer in the a$$. New head cheese guy = new ways to bilk the already corrupt and afoul system (that's you & me, folks). I'm sure A.F. "Buddy" Skeen and the clown circus of county commisioners will have input in the decision as well.
By Snoopy
Nov 26, 2008 7:41 AM | Link to this
Fred.
Do us all a favor and geta better attitude. If Waco is that darn bad please move and start running down another city.
Can you not find one positive thing about the Waco community?
By Fred
Nov 26, 2008 6:03 AM | Link to this
Maybe the next MCC President will actually be able to "buy" the property across the street (College Drive) without the damned Lawyers and Court Settlements. And Texas Tech would be a breath of fresh air for McLennan County (with Baylor University doing absolutely NOTHING for the local community). Baylor's selfish sky-high tuition and pompous-pride isolates Baylor from Slaughterhouse Waco. With Baylor's "high tuition" you would think that Baylor would be a high-tier University? Baylor can't even "hang" with Texas A&M, Texas or Texas Tech in basic academics.
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F, except on Tuesday when it's open until 9 p.m.
Post a comment
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.