Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education

Projections show that half of all community college administrators will leave their jobs or retire within the next five years. To address this problem, the College of Education established the Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education to prepare graduate students who intend to work in leadership positions as administrators or faculty in community colleges.

The center became part of the College of Education's Department of Counseling, Development and Higher Education in April 1999 after receiving a million-dollar gift from Don Buchholz, a 1952 UNT business college graduate.Buchholz, who is on the board of the UNT Foundation, served for 18 years as a member of the Dallas County Community College Board of Trustees. The center is named for Bill J. Priest, the founding chancellor of the seven-campus Dallas County Community College District system and one of the first community college presidents to chair the American Council on Education.

Besides preparing students for teaching and administration, the center's purpose is to conduct research on community college policy and administrative issues. The center's administration currently seeks support from the private sector for doctoral fellowships. The center builds upon existing College of Education-supported initiatives such as the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, which has been edited at the college for more than 20 years, and the North Texas Community College Consortium, which includes community colleges throughout the Metroplex. It is also hoped that in the future a lecture series can be established that addresses community college leadership issues.

Stephen Katsinas, the Don Buchholz endowed chair and director of the center, will provide oversight for these initiatives. He will also assess and address the needs of every two-year college in the Metroplex.

For more information, e-mail Katsinas.

BY STEPHEN KATSINAS, DIRECTOR katsinas@unt.edu

Other web resources:

• University of North Texas Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education

 

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• UNT scientists, students join other Texas universities in display showcasing scientific research
• UNT seeking $28.9 million in funding from 77th Texas Legislature
• Regents, THECB discuss closing the gaps
• Top questions regarding the UNT publications policy
• Vice Provost Schafer to step down
• UNT students receive $25,000 Rotary Scholarships
• Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism to host African journalist as visiting lecturer
• Take precautions when using space heaters
• UNT professor says Super Bowl is going to be dot-com thin this year
• Two groups help keep former UNT staff, faculty involved in university life

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