By Jonathan Munson
Math Professor Conrad Krueger interviewed Monday as a candidate to fill the position of dean of arts and sciences at this college, making Krueger one of only two candidates who are already employed by this college.
Already knowledgeable about the changes this college is undergoing, Krueger used that home-turf advantage to speak to issues specific to the college, such as remedial coursework, professional development and student retention.
Initiatives such as learning communities, accelerated learning programs and pushing more dual-credit courses are all things Krueger said he thinks can reduce the time students have to spend in remedial courses, as well as pull more students into the college in the first place.
Community involvement is also something Krueger suggested to increase enrollment at this college. “A large percentage of students come here with the intention of staying,” he said, again stressing that getting them here is the first step to keeping them.
Making students aware of the student services available on campus is another initiative Krueger said can be beneficial to student success.
Krueger was a student at this college in 1986. “I’ve noticed that there’s a lot more student services available than there was when I was here. I saw a counselor one time as a student,” he said. “I believe right now that our students have a lot more opportunity.”
Giving the placement tests for incoming students another look and seeing if the college is using the best was another initiative Krueger said could be a good idea. Accuplacer, in Krueger’s eyes, may not be the best placement test available. He also suggested having a short summer course for high school graduates to brush up on their basic skills and prepare for their placement tests.
When asked about professional development and incentives for faculty and staff to continue their education, Krueger shared his own experience in that situation.
“I got about $200 per semester to go and work on my doctorate,” Krueger said, adding that it helped pay for his books, but a little more help would be more motivating. “Now, I’m not complaining because I would have done it without it,” he said.
Members of the open forum asked if he would take any action regarding that subject.
“I would be more than happy to approach the chancellor and ask him for more money,” Krueger said.
It was brought to Krueger’s attention that staff are not given the opportunity to move up in pay class as they advance in their own education. “Well, that would be something we’d definitely have to talk about. We’re an educational institution and I believe that everybody should have the opportunity to move up. So I would be more than happy to be an advocate,” Krueger said.
Perhaps because of Krueger’s history with this college, communication between faculty, staff and administration was a crucial element in all of his answers.
When asked about Employee Development Day, he said more input would be needed to specify what employees want to cover.
Krueger expressed the need for departments to share information and work together not only to keep students engaged at this college but to prepare for the many changes the district is undergoing.
“These changes are here. We have to be prepared to manage them. We have to be in this as one big team,” Krueger said.