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‘Personable’ Pittman takes over July 1 SPENCER GLEASON EDITOR IN CHIEF
CHRISTIAN HARGAS STAFF WRITER
T h e STLCC Board of Trustees announced on Tuesday, March 10 that Jeff Pittman, Ph. D., has accepted JEFF PITTMAN, PH.D the chancellor position. Pittman will assume the responsibilities of STLCC chancellor effective July 1 and has signed a contract for the next five years. “The board members really liked [him] and found in the written comments, that we had gotten [from STLCC staff and faculty], confirmed the personal nature of Dr. Pittman,” Board of Trustees Chair Craig Larson, Ed. D., said. “Somebody stated that he’s not trying to impress you, but he has a deep background in his own work in community college. He has a very personable style.” Pittman has served as the statewide vice president of corporate college services and online education at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, since January 2013.
Previously, he was chancellor of Ivy Tech’s we offer the right programs — whether Wabash Valley Region for 11 years. they lead to a degree or they lead to the “Indiana is unusual, in that all their right training — for the jobs that exist in students in the state of Indiana all go St. Louis?’” Larson said. “We have a lot of to one system. So it’s one unified state work to do to make sure that we’re helping system. There are 30 different locations, people come to a community college and 14 different regions,” Larson said. “He giving them the right step — which may be wanted to get back into the business of to move on to [a four-year school].” working with an actual college, whereas he’s been overseeing a stateWe have a lot of work to do to wide office.” make sure that we’re helping While Pittman people come to a community oversaw the Wabash Valley Region, the college and giving them the right college’s online step. enrollment increased from 32,000 students in - Dr. Craig Larson 2008 to 69,000 students in 2010. Pittman was also active in the reorganization and Larson said that part of the draw development of an organization for the to Pittman was the fact that he was not delivery of Corporate College customized applying to other schools. For the trustees, workforce training and services to Larson said that showed Pittman’s businesses, industry and individuals dedication to St. Louis. throughout Indiana. “In some ways [that] wouldn’t matter,” “The next step is to think about, ‘Do Larson said. “Some of the other candidates
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were in a couple other searches. But it was something that the trustees liked.” Pittman will take over the position from Interim Chancellor Dennis Michaelis, Ed. D., whose contract will expire on June 30. Michaelis was hired in October 2013 in an agreed upon short-term basis-only situation. “We hired Dr. Michaelis as the Interim Chancellor because our relationship with our previous chancellor kind of fell apart,” Larson said. “[The previous chancellor] had been here, right at three years. And she had followed someone that had been interim for just a few years. We had had two people that didn’t stay for very long.” Larson said that both Pittman and Michaelis have already started to schedule a time to meet and talk about the future of STLCC. “I would give a lot of credit to Dr. Michaelis and the people that he’s worked with. We have not been standing still the last couple years, under his leadership. We’ve made a lot of progress,” Larson said. “I think [the hiring of Pittman] is very much a good thing.”
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Student arrested in cafeteria following assault against female LIVIE HALL OPINIONS EDITOR On Tuesday, March 3, a “domestic assault” took place on STLCC-Meramec’s campus, said Campus Police Chief Anthony Russo. Russo said a 18-year old male student and his 19-year old girlfriend were play fighting and it got out of hand. The female student reported the incident to campus police and the male student was in custody less than 30 minutes later. Both were enrolled at Meramec. Russo said the male student grabbed his girlfriend by the throat and held her on the table “for a minute.” The incident happened at 9:30 a.m. and she reported it
at 11:30 a.m., Russo said. “Nobody really saw it happen. She ended up calling and he actually wrote a confession,” Russo said. The male student was in custody at the St. Louis County Police Department in Clayton for 24 hours following the arrest. Russo said there was a No Trespass Order that went to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Kim Fitzgerald (VPSA.) Fitzgerald said this order basically means students cannot return to class until they speak with their respective campus’ VPSA. The discussion can be over the
phone, in person or in between classes. However, this depends on the offense against the person and their compliance, Fitzgerald said. These orders are issued for a variety of offenses. “If somebody is drinking and needs to get help for depression, the last thing I want to do is keep them from going to class if they’re sober,” Fitzgerald said. She said in a case like that, there would still need to be a conversation to work out the problem. Along with the No Trespass Order, Russo sent out a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) form to all of his officers.
Russo said this case is different from the Jevon Mallory incident in April of 2013 because the two involved knew each other. Mallory was convicted of assaulting student Blythe Grupe in a bathroom. “This is not an ongoing threat. It’s not stranger-on-stranger. He [the boyfriend] was in jail within three hours — reported, arrested and booked,” Russo said. The male student was charged with Assault 2nd Degree for choking and was arrested in the cafeteria. His girlfriend signed a refusal form for medical care. No warrant has been issued at this time.
Chancellor candidates present at Counseling Department offers Women’s History Month events Ron Mirikitani demonstrates open forums on campus athleticisim for 45 years services for seasonal depression continue throughout March Page 3 Page 10 Page 11 Page 9 Volume 50 Issue 11
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March 12, 2015