A flurry of public meet-and-greets, interviews and tours awaits candidates for Allen Community College president the first week of December.
College trustees laid out a timeline to meet with finalists as a nationwide search comes to an end. Trustees plan to select three or four finalists, after conducting interviews earlier this month.
They expect to make their choice Dec. 6.
Trustee Jessica Thompson led the committee conducting the search with the help of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) of Washington, D.C.
“We did get quite a few candidates that were excellent. We were pleasantly surprised with the amount and quality,” Thompson said at a board of trustees meeting Tuesday evening.
In addition to a final round of the interviews, the finalists will tour the campus and the city as well as have meet-and-greet sessions with the public, Allen employees and students from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day of the week beginning Dec. 2.
The board of trustees will interview the candidate from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom, followed by an informal dinner at the college from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Student housing
Trustees agreed to a new two-year contract with Parkford Apartments, with a $50 rent increase per unit for 2025 and another $50 increase the following year. Currently, the college pays $705 per month for each unit, plus utilities.
The college uses eight two-bedroom apartments as part of its student housing plan. Of those apartments, seven are used to house four students each. The eighth is set aside for a hall director.
Josiah D’Albini, outgoing Student Life director, said the contract typically results in a financial benefit to the college. Students who live at Parkford pay $6,695 per year. With four per unit, that works out to $26,780 per unit, compared to the college’s current per-unit cost of $8,460. That doesn’t include the cost of utilities, which are paid by the college.
Trustees also discussed a potential financial benefit if the college were to offer athletic camps during the summer. Allen could use one of its dormitories to house students for a fee.
“Housing could be a huge money-maker for the summer,” D’Albini said.
John Masterson, interim president, added: “I’d like to talk a little more about that before I leave.” He expects to vacate the position in January when a new president takes over.
Trustees also briefly discussed an increase in the housing deposit. All students who live on campus currently pay a $100 non-refundable deposit. Next year, it will double to $200, still non-refundable. Half will be used for cleaning and the other half will go into a fund to make improvements, such as for recreational equipment and supplies. Trustees wondered if that fee should be larger. D’Albini said his research showed the maximum deposit required at community colleges across the state is $250.
