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Thinking in terms of 'we' Date published: 12/6/2006
By EDIE GROSS Paula M. Gastenveld spent an hour answering questions from Germanna Community College faculty and staff yesterday morning before hitting them with one of her own. "What are you all looking for in a next president?" asked Gastenveld, one of three candidates for the job visiting the college's campuses this week. "That way, I'll do better in my next interview," she added, smiling. Hands shot up in the Fredericksburg campus' Sealy Auditorium. "I'd like you to drop in out of the blue and visit with me in my office," said Gerald Miller, head of the information technology program. "Come down and see what we're doing, what we're doing good and not doing good--tell us that, too." "The first thing that comes to mind is someone who will bring out the best in all of us," added Linda Larkin, dean of Learning Resources. "Someone who would advocate for us with the legislature and VCCS [Virginia Community College System]," said the campus's associate dean, Paula Gentry. Gastenveld, who has nearly 30 years of teaching and administrative experience in higher education, nodded in agreement. "That's it?" she asked. "That's easy." Having served on the faculties of community colleges in Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio and Kentucky, Gastenveld touched on her experiences raising money, reaching out to the community and forming partnerships with local businesses and nearby universities. She has been the provost of the West Campus of Valencia Community College in Orlando, Fla., since 2003. A partnership there with the University of Central Florida resulted in renovated classrooms and updated equipment for her community college students, she said. At several schools, she's collaborated with nearby hospitals to improve nursing and other medical programs, bring on adjunct faculty and expose students to internship and job opportunities. She said she's a fan of dual enrollment, a program that gives high school students a chance to take college courses before graduating. Usually reserved for A and B students, Gastenveld said she'd like to offer that same opportunity to teens at the other end of the spectrum, those who may be "disenfranchised" in high school but might really take to a college atmosphere. "Sometimes they're smart. They're just not motivated," she said. "Nobody's paying them a $1 for every A they make."
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 12/6/2006
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