Former Great Neck Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas P. Dolan was appointed interim president of Nassau Community College last Wednesday by the college’s board of trustees.
At a board meeting, NCC trustees voted 7-1 in favor of a resolution to appoint Dolan as interim president of the Garden City college.
“I am honored to be given this opportunity to serve Nassau Community College and all of its constituencies,” Dolan said in an email to Blank Slate Media. “For almost 40 years I have been recommending NCC as an excellent choice for students, and now I’ll be given an opportunity to contribute to this school.”
Dolan served as superintendent of Great Neck public schools from July 2009 until this past July when he decided to retire from the position, citing his desire to spend more time with his family.
Dr. Teresa Prendergast succeeded Dolan as superintendent.
Dolan said time with his family remains important to him, and that they helped him decide to delay his retirement.
“Family still remains very, very important,” Dolan said. “In consultation with them, especially my wife Karen, we chose to delay retirement in order to serve in this unique position.”
Dolan’s appointment as interim president arrives with some controversy over his lack of experience in college administration.
Trustee Anthony Cornachio, who was the only board member to vote against Dolan’s appointment, said he voted against the resolution because members of the board did not make the personnel change from within NCC’s administrative ranks, according to Newsday.
NCC Academic Senate Chairwoman Evelyn Deluty also said she preferred someone who had a background in college administration but the group would still work with him, according to Newsday.
Dolan responded to the criticism by saying he is aware of his lack of experience but still believes he has a lot to contribute to the 23,000-student campus.
“I acknowledge that I’ve not served in a position like this at a college. I do think that I have something to offer in terms of leadership, the ability to work with others and to propel the mission of an institution forward,” Dolan said. “To those who might question my preparation I’d propose that we meet and work together to further enhance NCC.”
NCC Chairman Dr. Jorge Gardyn compared Dolan’s former position to his new one, calling it equivalent but different.
“A superintendent is the equivalent of being a president, but on a different level,” Gardyn said after announcing the decision, according to Newsday.
Kenneth Saunders, who was an administrator at NCC for over 13 years, was the former acting president until SUNY officials recommended a 60-day limit in June to his tenure as acting president, according to Newsday.
NCC has been seeking a permanent president since Donald Astrab left the position in July 2012.
While the interim president is prohibited from applying for the permanent president’s position, Dolan said he is not interested in any type of permanent position.
“I am not a candidate for any other position at the college,” Dolan said. “This is an interim position and I will serve only until a permanent president is found.”
Gardyn said he is expecting a permanent president to be in place in four to five months, with more than 70 people applying for the position through a search firm, according to Newsday.
