There is no argument with Thomas Dolan’s qualification as an educator or school administrator.
As superintendent of the Great Neck School District, he oversaw one the top school systems in the state.
But that does not necessarily make him the best choice to run Nassau Community College — even on an interim basis.
Dolan’s long and distinguished career was in the public school system — not college.
NCC chairman Dr. Jorge Gardyn defended the choice of Dolan for what he said would be a four- or five-month period.
“A superintendent is the equivalent of being a president, only on a different level,” Gardyn said after making the announcement.
Far more troubling is the length of time the 23,000 person campus has been without a full-time president — more than three years.
Dolan is not the first person to hold the title of interim president.
Kenneth Saunders, who had been a leading candidate for president, held the post prior to Dolan.
NCC is an important institution in Nassau County and the position of president is crucial to its operation.
To be without a qualified president for three years is far too long.
Based on the this performance, the public might be better served by a review of the board’s qualifications before those of any candidate for college president is considered.
