CSCC President Dr. Bill Seymour
Dr. Bill Seymour, president of Cleveland State Community College, was selected in 2020 to serve on a national learning community to address the issues facing rural community colleges.
Funded by the Ascendium Foundation, the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement assembled 26 leaders from rural community colleges across the nation to explore the challenges they face in serving the rural citizens and industries in their region. Dr. Seymour’s selection was the result of the work that Cleveland State has performed under the president’s leadership, which has been recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges, and the Community College Research Center.
A year later, Dr. Seymour has served as a coauthor on the first policy brief in the six-part Rural Community College Leader Series, designed to help state, college and communities improve their reach among underserved student populations. The paper, Creating a College Going Mindset, was written by both Dr. Seymour and Dr. Vickie Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College – Hanceville in Alabama, and is available to colleges nationwide on the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement website. In addition to the paper, Dr. Seymour co-hosted a webinar for community college leaders around the nation.
“It was an honor to be a part of this important initiative,” said Dr. Seymour. “I hope the series and webinars help college leaders in rural settings to find ways to better serve their students. By participating in the project, I was able to glean important information and innovative ideas that will benefit Cleveland State as we continue to find better ways to serve the citizens throughout our service region.”
Dr. John Squires, executive director of Advancement and Planning at Cleveland State added, “Under Dr. Seymour’s leadership, the college has become a recognized leader in providing quality programs, with a high level of student success. Dr. Seymour’s experience and vision will now benefit other rural community colleges throughout the nation.”