MCC Appoints Sandra Palmer Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Sandra Palmer
Manchester Community College has named Dr. Sandra Palmer as the college’s first provost and chief academic officer.
Dr. Palmer will be responsible for faculty and professional staff hiring, evaluation and development; curriculum and course development; instructional innovation, resources and quality and outcomes assessment; leadership in the development and implementation of college goals and strategic plan; academic budget distribution/management; and academic policy.
She had served as interim dean at MCC since last July. Prior to that, Dr. Palmer was dean of academic affairs at Naugatuck Valley Community College for three years. She is looking forward in her permanent role at MCC to focusing on continually improving the quality of learning, teaching, and student support.
“Our new Strategic Plan calls for the creation of a comprehensive assessment plan, implementing evidence-based high impact practices, and increasing the number of full-time faculty,” Dr. Palmer said. “We have to always be mindful of the fact that our students come first, and it is their success that gives us the desire and momentum to continuously move forward.”
Dr. Palmer has worked in higher education administration for more than 25 years. She worked for Suffolk County Community College of the State University of New York, a multi-campus college enrolling more than 25,000 students, where she taught, coordinated distance education and served as academic chair and assistant dean of faculty for liberal arts. She also served as the college associate dean for visual and performing arts, and served as the associate dean of academic affairs. She has had articles published on succession management, collaboration between academic and student affairs, and developmental education.
She has made several presentations on developmental education and Public Act (PA) 12-40. PA 12-40 requires colleges to offer students remedial support embedded with corresponding entry-level courses, or an intensive college readiness program, beginning in 2014. She also co-chairs the PA 12-40 Advisory Council and serves on the New England Council of the College Board.
Dr. Gena Glickman, MCC president, added, “Dr. Palmer’s depth of understanding of the issues we’re facing in Connecticut and within the academic division, as well as her collegial style, and strong advocacy for faculty and the college, are to be commended and will help us advance our goals.”
Dr. Palmer earned her Ph.D. in art history from the University of Chicago, and she holds a master’s degree in art history from the same institution. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University, and a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of California, Davis.
About MCC
Students of any age who possess the desire to pursue higher education are welcome at Manchester Community College. MCC is proud of its academic excellence, new facilities, flexible schedules, small classes, low tuition and faculty with both academic and “real world” credentials. The college offers over 60 programs, transfer options, financial aid and scholarships, as well as access to baccalaureate degrees through guaranteed admissions programs with several universities. The main, park-like campus, which is easily accessible from I-84, is also the home of Great Path Academy, a middle college high school, serving grades 9-12. The college’s second location, the Manchester Community College Arts and Education Center, opened in downtown Manchester in 2012. In January 2014, MCC was named as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges, eligible to compete for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million dollars in prize funds by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
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