The Macomb Community College Board of Trustees has finalized the appointment of Dr. James Jacobs, Ph.D., as the college’s next president, approving an employment contract at its meeting today.
"While Macomb Community College is known locally as a high-quality institution of higher education, we're looking forward to Dr. Jacobs' leadership in raising Macomb's visibility beyond state lines, creating recognition and heightened stature for the college both regionally and nationally," said Nancy Falcone Sullivan, Chair, Macomb Board of Trustees. "In leveraging his experience and relationships in workforce development and education at that level, we have high expectations in the ability of Dr. Jacobs to bring home new, nontraditional funding sources -- supporting new programming that can make a real difference in our community and in the lives of our residents."
The three-year contract provides for an annual salary of $198,000 and yearly cost-of-living increases. Jacobs will assume the presidency on July 1, 2008.
Jacobs is currently Director of the Center for Workforce Development and Policy at Macomb Community College, and Associate Director for Community College Operations at the Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. He is a national expert on workforce development and community colleges, specializing in the areas of occupational change and technology, suburban economic development, occupational education, retraining of displaced workers and needs
assessment of occupational programs. He earned a bachelor of arts in social and
political science from SUNY Harpur College, and a master’s and doctorate in politics from Princeton University.
The selection of Jacobs as the college’s fifth president is the culmination of a national search process, led by Dr. David Pierce, consultant, Association of Community College Trustees. College staff and community representatives participated on a Presidential Search Committee, and the three finalists for the position of president participated in open forums for community members and staff, in addition to public interviews with the college’s board.
Media contact: Jeanne M. Nicol
586.445.7204
E-mail: nicolj@macomb.edu