THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140544
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Fayetteville State University Chancellor Vic Hackley was named president of the state community college system Thursday in a unanimous vote by the system's board of trustees.
``I guarantee you I will give it my all,'' Hackley told the board minutes after its vote. ``You won't ever have to worry about where my priorities are.''
Hackley, 54, has been FSU's chancellor since 1988. He formerly taught at the Government Executives Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the University of Arkansas, and was an administrator for UNC.
He is the first black to head the community college system, but he said that ``genetic consideration'' did not appear to weigh heavily in his selection.
``If I had gotten a signal that this choice was being made because of the people I selected to be my parents, you'd be talking to somebody else,'' he said. ``. . . When it comes to being a first, I think I'm the first person from Roanoke, Va., to head up a community college system.''
Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker, who is chairman of the community college board, said details of Hackley's salary and when he will take charge of the system will be worked out.
Former Gov. Bob Scott, who will retire as president by Dec. 31, made just over $115,000 in the post.
``That won't hang us up,'' Hackley said of salary discussions. ``What will hang us up is how we get from Point A to Point B.''
The board also considered Geraldine Evans, chancellor of the Minnesota community college system, and retired IBM executive Richard Daugherty for the post. All three were interviewed by the board Thursday.
``When you look at all of what he (Hackley) had, all of his strengths, when you put those together, he stood above the rest,'' Wicker said.
Hackley said he and the board will work on plans to take the community college system ``to the next level.''
``All elements of education need to be better,'' said Hackley, who started his college career at a community college in Traverse City, Mich. ``It's not that they're doing a bad job now, but the demands are constantly changing.
``We have to take a look at what the marketplace wants us to produce.''
Community colleges ``are going to change the education landscape in North Carolina more than any other element,'' he said.
The board's top priorities are adult literacy and training an educated work force, but Hackley said those tasks should not be narrowly focused. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Vic Hackley, 54, shown at a news conference in Raleigh Thursday,
appears delighted after being named president of the state community
college system by the board of trustees. Hackley has been chancellor
of Fayetteville State University since 1988.
by CNB