SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCCC President Brad Bennett
When Seward County Community College shopped for new fleet vehicles a few years ago, the market was a mess. Supply chain issues had changed everything in the world of auto sales and purchases. Finding reasonably priced new cars for SCCC employees felt nearly impossible — so when I found a good option, I jumped at the opportunity.
Only after it arrived on campus did I find out: it did not have cruise control.
And the employees who used it to drive to conferences and long-distance events let me know.
Sometimes, cruise control is something you need. Other times, being on autopilot is less than ideal.
That is the approach the College administration takes whenever we experience significant personnel changes. For example, when a longtime employee retires, we ask the question, “What has changed since this person started out in their role?” Another useful question: “What did this person manage to achieve that will be hard to replicate?”
We evaluate positions constantly. When we knew longtime medical laboratory technology instructor and program leader Dr. Suzanne Campbell would retire in a year, we realized very few candidates would be qualified to wear the many hats Dr. Campbell routinely put on. Who could perform that MLT role along with Dr. Campbell’s duties as Dean of Allied Health? What about her contributions as a grant evaluator and grant administrator? ( I’m sure I am leaving something out, because Dr. Campbell did a lot during three-plus decades at SCCC. )
We asked Dr. Campbell to step into a Dean of Instruction role for a year and continue her direction of the MLT program. Meanwhile, we combined the Dean positions for Allied Health and Industrial Technology. This allowed for a more effective job search for the MLT faculty position, and helped members of that division adjust to changes in stages rather than all at once.
A year later, the board of trustees approved a wider-range reorganization of the academic divisions, in part because of what we learned and observed during that transitional year. In July, our academic division will operate in a way that is similar to most two-year institutions in our region, with two Vice President roles: one for Academic Affairs, and one for Career Technical Education, also known as CTE.
As with all Vice President level roles, we advertised widely for applicants from across the nation. We will do the same with the newly-created Associate Vice President of Athletics position that has been created as we navigate changes in athletics.
Over in the SCCC Development Office, which is jointly operated with the SCCC Foundation, we conducted a similar period of evaluation as we sought applicants for a new role we named Executive Director of the Foundation. At the end of the process, we hired Teresa Randle, an SCCC alumna and native of Hugoton who has lived and worked in the finance and banking sector in Liberal for the past decade. We’re excited to welcome her and anticipate growth and positive things in the SCCC Foundation.
Why am I going into detail about these changes? It’s important to our executive team, and to the Board of Trustees, to share information with our community. We want our stakeholders, employees, students, their families, and our alumni to understand how we go about our everyday work, and we want to inspire confidence.
SCCC is in a great position financially and in terms of student enrollment. In the past year, we’ve succeeded in adding three sports, completing a brand-new building, and making major renovations to existing buildings on campus. And, we are just getting started.
Looking ahead, SCCC will undergo a major expansion in the diesel technology and Commercial Drivers License (CDL) programs, and the addition of the West Campus. Trends show a steady increase in student interest in workforce development. Our own enrollment numbers are going up — a good thing that also requires a little more of everything. Instructors. Time, Resources. Support services.
As the College grows, we are expanding our fleet of vehicles with cars and vans and trucks that come with cruise control — I learned the hard way that we need that feature. But when it comes to the institution, we are avoiding autopilot. We have our eyes on the road, our attention on growth, and our minds fully engaged.
The journey ahead is exciting!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — President Brad Bennett has gladly relinquished his role as vehicle purchaser and is concentrating on positive growth for Seward County Community College. If you have questions or just want to chat, you can stop by campus, call for an appointment at 620-417-1011, or email him at
