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Volume 41, Issue 3
September 30, 2003
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September 30,
2003
Chancellor named
Carly
Schorman
Mesa Legend
Controversial selection of
district leader comes to an end
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| Ryan Kennedy Mesa
Legend |
| Community members applaud the choosing
of new district leader Rufus Glasper on Sept. 23. |
Despite the considerable controversy surrounding Maricopa Community Colleges
District’s search for a new chancellor, one has been selected.
Rufus Glasper, the only candidate in the running for the position, was
named the new chancellor for the district at the governing board’s
meeting on Sept. 23 in a unanimous vote.
“Know what it means to be part of Maricopa and commit yourself to
that vision, and I will commit myself to you,” Glasper said in his
acceptance speech.
Reactions to the board’s decision varied.
“It was the best decision for the time,” stated Michelle Traveler,
who has worked in the college district for 10 years.
Manuel Frias declared that the community’s true reaction won’t
be known until the upcoming bond election.
The governing board cited the upcoming bond election as one reason for
rushing the search for a new chancellor. The search was conducted and
completed in under a month.
Ed Contreras, president of the MCCD governing board, recognized that community
support is needed to “go out and ask the community for a bond to
the tune of almost a billion dollars.”
Glasper was in the running for the position of chancellor during the last
search in which Fred Gaskin was appointed. Glasper was eliminated from
the list of candidates.
Contreras said Glasper has the “prerequisites, ethics, sensitivity,
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera,” to lead the district.
“Despite the negative comments, this is one of the proudest moments
of my life,” board member Gene Eastin stated before casting his
vote in favor of Glasper.
A series of public forums were held at various colleges in the district
so the community could question the candidate.
Attendance at the forums was low due partly to the fact that a number
of community organizations refused to attend in protest because the board
opted for an internal search instead of a national search.
Manuel Frias described the governing board’s search as an “orchestrated
and manipulative process.”
“I would have loved a national search, but it just wasn’t
in the cards at the time,” Contreras remarked.
Despite the low attendance, governing board member Donald Campbell said
that the feedback received from the events was supportive of Glasper,
with 94 to 95 percent of respondents supporting his appointment as chancellor.
The only people who took part in the forums were those who were in favor
of Glasper prior to the colloquium, according to Frias.
Glasper came to Arizona from Illinois in 1986 to serve the district as
the director of finance.
Prior to joining the MCCD, Glasper held a variety of positions in for
the Chicago Public Schools.
Glasper was named acting chancellor in May when the governing board decided
to fire the previous chancellor, Fred Gaskin.
Before assuming the position of acting chancellor, Glasper worked as the
executive vice chancellor for human resources and administration.
Glasper “earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Luther College, and a Master’s and advanced degrees in school
business administration from Northern Illinois University. He received
his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in higher education finance from the
University of Arizona,” according to his biography distributed at
the forum offered for the community to meet and question candidates for
the position.
Many opposed to Glasper cited his lack of experience as an educator.
However, Glasper said his involvement with the community colleges’
professors and openness to their suggestions and concerns provided him
with understanding of the role of an educator.
Glasper’s own expertise is heavily based in business. He is both
a certified public accountant and a certified government financial manager.
In a public statement written by Glasper he described his vision for the
district, “My vision for Maricopa is this: The Maricopa Community
Colleges comprise a preeminent system of teaching and learning that consistently
develops the talent to explore new opportunities, honors success without
punishing failure, and provides strong leadership to support innovative
educational and community contributions.”
According to the statement, Glasper also hopes to “encourage increased
community involvement.”
Glasper has a strong history of community involvement.
He was appointed by the governor to serve as a board member for the Arizona
Health Facilities Authority.
Additionally, Glasper “is a long-standing member of the Phoenix
Urban League and the Chairman of the Board for Black Family Child Services,”
as stated in his biography.
Currently, Glasper is a member the Governmental Accounting Standards board’s
College and University Task Force.
Throughout his career, Glasper has been recognized on a number of occasions
for his achievements.
Included in his awards are the Kellogg Foundation Fellowship in Community
College Leadership and the Roy Wilkins Award through the Maricopa County
Chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP).
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