STCC board of trustees recommends Dr. John B. Cook as next president
The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. John B. Cook, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Manchester Community College, New Hampshire, as the college’s next president. This selection is pending affirmation from the Board of Higher Education at their scheduled meeting in June.
Dr. Cook will replace Dr. Ira H. Rubenzahl who is retiring in June after twelve years as president of STCC.
Board Chairman Christopher Johnson noted the outstanding quality of the four final candidates and praised President Rubenzahl for his leadership. "We don't need to hit the re-set button," Johnson said. "We should not disturb the path we've been on under Ira's leadership and his tremendous staff."
The board considered Cook to be the best candidate to continue the progress STCC has experienced under Rubenzahl’s leadership.
Dr. Cook's Bio:
Dr. Cook became Vice President of Academic Affairs at Manchester Community College (NH) in 2012. In his role as Chief Academic Officer, he is responsible for the administration, leadership, and oversight of all academic programs and faculty at the college. His management covers a division encompassing approximately 55 fulltime faculty, 25 staff, and over 250 adjunct faculty. Budget for the Academic Affairs division exceeds $11 million annually. Manchester Community College (MCC) enjoys a core group of both professional and technical programs, and since arriving at MCC, John has worked diligently in collaboration with faculty to revise or add 15 degree and certificate programs. To date, approximately 18% of all MCC credits are now derived from online options. John has also worked with faculty to revise developmental education, create Early College pathways, and inject energy into a comprehensive Program Review process. MCC is also leveraging key institutional assessments including the Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement. MCC is the second largest NH community college within the Community College System of New Hampshire with approximately 4,000 full and part-time students.
Prior to arriving at MCC, John was an Assistant Dean of Faculty at Granite State College, and he spent twelve years with GSC including serving as a Faculty Coordinator (akin to a Department Chair), and a Research and Evaluation Coordinator for a child welfare training partnership. For a five year period he taught Research Methods and Educational Psychology to GSC undergraduates. John holds an undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University in Psychology and Anthropology, a Master's degree in Community/Social Psychology from UMass Lowell, and a Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum/Instruction) from the University of New Hampshire.