Former WCU administrator chosen to lead SCC
A former Western Carolina University administrator has been named president of Southwestern Community College.
Richard Collings, president of Wayne State College in Nebraska, will become SCC’s fifth president, contingent upon approval of the State Board of Community Colleges.
Collings, who earned his doctorate at Tulane University, was vice chancellor of academic affairs at WCU when he left six years ago to take the Wayne State post. Before his tenure at WCU, he was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.
Collings said he has “kept track” of SCC’s progress and noticed the statewide and national acclaim it has received.
“I am familiar with the region and the college … while it may not be common for someone to move from the presidency of a four-year college to a community college, I have the background, the desire and the commitment to make it work,” Collings said.
His accomplishments at Wayne State include partnering with Northeast Community College to create a joint campus.
“I’ve been working with community colleges since 1989 and have accelerated my interaction in the last six years, with our partnership with Northeast Community College,” he said. “Wayne State College has much in common with community colleges in its student body, concentration on undergraduate education and service to its communities.”
Collings said he understands the role of a rural college, both from his experiences in North Carolina and at his present location, which is a small town in rural northeast Nebraska.
Among his other accomplishments, Collings reversed a decade-long enrollment decline, improved graduation and retention rates and led a successful $20 million capital campaign.
On a personal note, Collings and his wife Marilyn have children and grandchildren who live in North Carolina.
Conrad Burrell, chairman of the SCC Board of Trustees, said Collings was chosen from a national pool of applicants.
“Although our presidential search produced many outstanding candidates, Dr. Collings was chosen because of his impressive background and credentials,” Burrell said. “We feel his experience in education and knowledge of our service area will greatly benefit the college and the communities we serve,” Burrell said.
