DEARBORN — The Dearborn Board of Education selected the next president of Henry Ford Community College (HFCC) on Wednesday evening, during a special meeting held at the college’s administration building. Board members narrowed down the top five candidates to just one, with commotion accompanying the selection process.
Dozens of applicants had applied for the position in prior months. A special committee was formed to help narrow down the list to the Top 50 candidates. From there it was pared down to the top six candidates, before one of them pulled out, leaving the board with five choices.
Board Trustee Hussein Berry made a motion to select Stan Jensen as the preferred candidate for the position, after board members selected Jensen and Gordon May as their top choices through secret ballots. In a 5-1 vote, a motion passed to give Jensen the position.
The board will now move forward in contract negotiations with Jensen as their top pick, while agreeing that candidate May would still be their second choice if negotiations with Jensen fall through for any given reason.
Jensen served almost five yeas as president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College (CMC). The college was named first place in its state and 17th nationwide, with 22,000 students and eight campuses. As an administrator, Jensen had focused on strategic planning for college growth, program development, resource development, adopting strategic technology and leadership.
But some HFCC faculty members present at the meeting seemed puzzled with the board’s decision to select Jensen as their pick for president, with a number of them voicing their backing for Ismael Ahmed, who was one of the committee’s top five candidates initially. Ahmed is co-founders and former Executive Director of ACCESS as well as a co-founder of the Arab American National Museum. Some highlighted that Ahmed, familiar with the city, would’ve been a fit candidate. However, others also criticized that he didn’t have an education beyond a Bachelors degree, and doesn’t have the needed experience to run a college.
A slew of individuals took the podium asking the board to reconsider their decision, and also expressed some concerns over Jensen, with many feeling that he doesn’t have the experience to lead a diverse campus, such as the one at HFCC. One faculty member addressed the board by saying they should consider public opinion before making their final decisions.
“I have been here for eight years, and I love Henry Ford, but in the last year I have seen what people not being behind a leader could do…and I have not heard one person get up here on this mic and express their support for Dr. Jensen. It really concerns me when I see a candidate being offered a position that the college is not getting behind and supporting,” Randa Johnson stated.
Some expressed concern with Jensen’s ability to handle HFCC’s current financial struggle. The college currently faces a financial deficit and is expected to hike tuition rates by more than seven percent in the upcoming school year. Other faculty members stated that they believe Jensen is more than qualified when it comes to his academic credentials, but questioned his ability or knowledge of handling the college’s complex financial situation.
Board Trustee Pamela Adams explained to the crowd that they were aware of the support for Ahmed, and the majority of the board had also considered him to be a good candidate, however when board members were asked to pick their top two choices of the five candidates, he ended up not making the cut, and she didn’t want to undermine the votes of the board.
Board Trustee James Schoolmaster was absent from the meeting but was alerted over speaker phone of the board’s decision. He did not select Jensen as his top pick but said he would stand behind the boards decision. Board Trustee Roxanne McDonald was the only member to vote against the motion, stating that she believed Jensen was a fit candidate, but preferred candidate Gordon May as her first pick. Board Trustee Berry stated that Jensen was a very good candidate and is more than qualified for the position.
“He has the experience, he has the knowledge, he has the leadership as a motivator and as a great team builder,” Berry stated during the meeting.
Jensen will be replacing Dr. Gail Mee, who announced her resignation from HFCC last May. According to Board Trustee Aimee Schoelles, contract negotiations may take weeks before they are finalized. The next meeting will take place on Tuesday April 16, at the Administration Building at HFCC.
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