President McNulty resigns from GCC

IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College board of trustees accepted a letter of resignation from president George McNulty at their regular meeting on Wednesday, March 22.

McNulty will be leaving his position June 30, and the board approved the start of a search for his replacement.

“We wish him and his family the very best in his future endeavors and sincerely thank him for his steadfast service to Gogebic Community College,” said Susan Beals, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

McNulty has served as president for four years, and wrote in his letter of resignation that he wishes the school and all its faculty and students the best in the future.

“Gogebic Community College is a special place and is an exceptionally valuable resource for our students and communities in the Upper Peninsula,” wrote McNulty.

The board also discussed the cancellation of several academic programs, as presented by Vice President of Academic Services David Darrow.

The programs the board voted to remove from the college’s list of offerings include: the Early Childhood Education transfer option, Electric Line Mechanic and Liberal Arts.

Darrow clarified for the board that only the transfer program for the ECE program will be removed from the offerings, as students can still major in ECE at the college and complete the entire program at Gogebic Community College.

“For the past several years, students have been enrolling in the Early Childhood Education program where students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree, geared to providing students with courses directly related to that field of work and getting them into the workforce immediately after completion of the program. It is important to note that students interested in transferring still have the option to pursue a four-year degree by working closely with our transfer coordinator to tailor the program to the student’s individual needs and transfer school of choice,” said Darrow.

The Electric Line Mechanic program has not been taught since 2013, when the lead instructor retired, and according to Darrow, the college has been unable to hire a new teacher for the program.

The Liberal Arts program is being removed from the roster of majors, due to the college no longer offering foreign language courses, according to Darrow. He encourages students who are interested in getting a degree in Liberal Arts to start at GCC with an Associates of Arts degree, which they can transfer to a four-year college.

“This option broadens the student’s career path and gives them flexibility in pursuing multiple opportunities instead of one specific focus. The program will be individualized by working through the student’s advisor with a specific transfer institution in mind,” said Darrow.

The board also:

—Discussed their strategic plan.

—Heard a brief open positions update.

—Heard an update from Glen Guilbault of the Houghton campus.

—Heard the president’s update.

—Approved the list of graduates for the 2022-2023 school year. Commencement will be May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Lindquist Student Center.

—Voted to approve Rehmann of Traverse City for a five-year contract to conduct annual auditing services.