President Leaving Farmingdale State, joining
Nassau Community College
If Farmingdale State College (FSC) President Dr. W. Hubert Keen wanted a new challenge after announcing his retirement, he’s about to discover one. At the urging of SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher, Keen agreed to take over the troubled Nassau Community College (NCC) when he steps down from his current post at the end of June.
The 22,000-student NCC campus—largest in the state university system—has been without a permanent president for the past six years. The selection process and search for a new leader has come under criticism. Earlier this year, a preliminary report card by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) found the college was not in compliance in seven of 14 essential higher education standards. According to a published report, the commission “cited seven failures including planning, resources, leadership, administration, integrity, institutional assessment, and student learning. Faculty were quick to point out that none of them have to do with teaching, but they’ve long criticized the administration for lack of transparency.”
Keen’s appointment was approved at a special meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees on May 12, and by NCC’s Board of Trustees a few days before that. He will assume office at NCC on Aug. 1 at an annual salary of $225,000.
“Keen is a seasoned higher education professional whose leadership within our university system as well as the Long Island community makes him ideally suited to serve as NCC’s next president,” said SUNY Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. “I commend the Board of Trustees at the college for his appointment and look forward to our continued work together on behalf of the NCC community.”
“I have every confidence that Dr. Keen’s leadership…will serve as an important and impactful turning point for the campus, one that will greatly benefit NCC’s students, faculty, and staff,” said Chancellor Zimpher.
(Photo by Frank Rizzo)
“Dr. Keen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to NCC,” said Dr. Jorge Gardyn, chair of NCC’s Board of Trustees. “The board is excited about working with our next president. We look forward to a new era of growth and advancement.”
“I am honored that the NCC Presidential Search Committee, NCC Board of Trustees, Chancellor Zimpher, and the SUNY Board of Trustees have offered me the opportunity to work with this very important institution,” said Dr. Keen. “While this opportunity is not one I anticipated, it is one I am pleased to embrace, and am honored to be entrusted with NCC’s leadership.”
“President Keen’s reputation within SUNY is very strong, so it’s not a surprise that he was approached by Chancellor Zimpher,” said FSC Senior Director of Communications Kathy Coley, “President Keen brought FSC to an unparalleled level of success.”
As far as NCC’s accreditation, MSCHE is expected to issue its final report in June, after which NCC has two years to correct the deficiencies the report has identified.
According to collegesanddegrees.com, institutions that lose accreditation will almost surely lose government aid, and the financial pressures can lead to their declaring bankruptcy. Students cannot get their tuition money back and “will have a difficult time finding admission to another school to complete their degree,” according to the website. “If an unaccredited school manages to stay in business then its graduates will undoubtedly face a tough time finding a job. Many employers simply do not hire graduates from unaccredited schools.”
Successful Tenure
Keen became president of FSC in January 2007 after serving for two years as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Farmingdale and, from 1999 to 2005, as special assistant to the SUNY Provost. He previously held positions as interim president at SUNY Old Westbury, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at CUNY’s York College, and professor and dean of Arts and Sciences at SUNY Cortland.
Keen’s research, which spans the fields of ecology, environmental science, aquatic biology, and biostatistics, has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Research Foundation for SUNY, the University of Virginia’s Biological Station Research Program and other agencies. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, a U.S. Public Health Service Fellowship, and a Fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service.
Keen holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in biology from Pikeville College, a Master’s in biology from Eastern Kentucky University, and a PhD in ecology from Kent State University.
Assemblyman Chad A. Lupinacci (R,C,I-South Huntington) recently presented Keen with a proclamation honoring “his great service to Farmingdale State College and the Long Island Community…Under Dr. Keen’s leadership, Farmingdale’s enrollment grew by more than 8,700 students and various academic programs were expanded. The campus also embarked on a $185 million construction and renovation project with new buildings including a Campus Center, a new Children’s Center and a new School of Business. Farmingdale State College has been impacted by Dr. Keen’s devotion in every way, and I am honored to call him a friend and colleague.”
