Exit Interview
Stepping down as president of Prince George’s Community College,
Dr. Ronald Williams talks about his future plans and the state of community colleges.
By David Pluviose
Dr. Ronald A. Williams
Current Position: President, Prince George’s Community College
Previous Position: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Acting President, Community College of Philadelphia
Education: B.A., History; M.A., English; Ph.D., Literature, Lehigh University
LARGO, Md.
The construction projects at Prince George’s Community College certainly represent a physical obstacle, but they also represent signs of progress largely credited to the leadership of outgoing president Ronald A. Williams. From the day he arrived on campus in 1999, Williams’ mission was to bring prestige and prominence to the college, both locally and nationally. All the construction suggests that his efforts have borne fruit.
In 2001, PGCC was named one of 16 nationwide models for undergraduate education by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The next year, the college won the Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Enhancing Undergraduate Teaching and Learning in 2002. PGCC has also launched its honors academy under Williams’ leadership, which allows a select few of the college’s top students to enter dual-enrollment programs with four-year schools while on full scholarship.
Williams’ detractors say his emphasis on the small percentage of students who fall into the honors realm has been to the detriment of the rest of the student population, who are just trying to “get a job,” as Williams terms it. However, the strides made by the college since Williams’ arrival have been substantial: Total enrollment has grown 14 percent — from 35,519 to 38,405 — and is poised to grow by another 5,000-6,000 when PGCC takes over adult basic education, GED and ESL instruction from the public K-12 system in January. PGCC has also launched a major gifts campaign that has raised more than $25 million. The college’s endowment has grown from $932,193 in 2000 to $2.5 million currently.
