New dean at STCC brings experience and a desire to help students succeed

Dr. Samantha Plourd developed a joy for her work when she was a college student

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – When she was a sophomore in college, Samantha Plourd worked as a tour guide and discovered her passion for helping students.

She remembers seeing their faces light up as she took them around campus to check out classroom buildings and dormitories.

“I just loved it,” she said. “I loved working with the counselors, loved watching them read applications and working with the students to interview and on-board them. That was pretty much what I wanted to do.”

Today, she is Dr. Samantha Plourd, Dean of Enrollment, Retention and Completion at Springfield Technical Community College.

She may have more responsibilities, but her mission in her new job is not so different from what inspired her as a young college student giving tours around campus. She oversees the admissions team, the Welcome Desk and the Testing and Assessment Center at STCC.

Hired in March 2022, Plourd will lead comprehensive efforts across STCC from enrollment through to graduation, working closely with colleagues in Students Affairs, as well as with faculty and administrators in Academic Affairs.

Asked to describe her work, Plourd puts it succinctly: “My job is to get people in the door, keep them here and then get them out after graduation.”

Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp said Plourd brings significant experience in higher education to her position at STCC.

“Samantha has an impressive background, having worked most recently as the Interim Director of Enrollment Management at Middlesex Community College,” Kemp said. “She understands all facets of enrollment management and has a passion for helping students achieve success, which is our mission at STCC. We are excited to have Samantha stepping into this role, and I look forward to working with her.”

Plourd began her career at four-year institutions, but decided early on that she belonged at community colleges. At her four-year institution, she helped students who were thinking of transferring. She heard stories from students who described how things didn’t work out.

I loved working with the counselors, loved watching them read applications and working with the students to interview and on-board them. Samantha Plourd, Dean of Enrollment, Retention and Completion

“They were telling me, ‘The school wasn’t a good fit. I had a bad time. I had a bad teacher. I didn’t have childcare,’” Plourd said. “I welcomed them in with open arms. I believe so strongly in second chances.”

She knows students come to STCC for many different reasons. Some are looking for a second chance. They might be changing careers or decided another college or university didn’t work for them.

“As an open access institution, we welcome everybody. And that’s how education should be in a way,” Plourd said.

STCC offers a range of resources to help students succeed. Plourd will work closely with the Center for Access Services, which provides students with non-academic support including access to groceries and meals and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits .

She also will work with the Male Initiative for Leadership and Education (MILE), a program that provides academic support, mentoring and community engagement opportunities to male students at STCC.

STCC, the only technical community college in Massachusetts, offers opportunities for any type of student to succeed. One of the biggest selling points is the price tag. STCC is the most affordable higher education institution in Springfield.

Plourd, a first-generation college student, remembers amassing debt after getting her degree. It’s a hard lesson she learned that she will share with prospective students.

“I graduated with $120k worth of debt. And then shortly after that, I married somebody who had even more debt than me,” she said. “For 10-plus years, we struggled paying that off. We had $750 a month payments each to pay. That’s something that a lot of students don’t really understand.”

She wants anyone thinking of enrolling in a college or university to think about the value – and quality – of a community college like STCC.

“A community college is an excellent place to start your education. It’s there to build a foundation,” she said. “If you transfer and go get a bachelor’s degree, you don’t have an asterisk next to your name. You still have that bachelor’s degree. You still get that associate degree. It’s extremely affordable. You’re still getting a quality education while keeping your debt really low.”

Prior to joining STCC Plourd worked in the Connecticut community college system for eight years, starting at Manchester Community College in enrollment services and admissions. After six years at Manchester, she went to Middlesex Community College as Interim Director of Enrollment Management for just under two years. 

She earned a doctorate in higher education leadership from Wilmington University in New Castle, Del., in 2021, a master's degree in publishing with a focus on editorial and writing from Rosemont College, Rosemont, Pa.,  in 2013, and a bachelor's from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., in 2009 in English and legal studies. 

She lives in Sturbridge with her husband, Mike, and their two children, Maisie, 4, and Theo, 3.

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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