Nassau Community College president Astrab resigns

by Claude Solnik
Published: July 30, 2012
Tags: board of trustees, Nassau Community College, president, resigns, SUNY

Donald Astrab

The Nassau Community College Board of Trustees today approved a separation agreement with President Donald P. Astrab, accepting his resignation.

The board appointed Executive Vice President Kenneth Saunders to lead the school in his place while it searches for a new president.

The separation agreement, which the board approved by a 7-1 vote, gives Astrab 15 months pay, prevents him from suing the school and includes a non-disparagement clause. His contract called for 12 month severance.

School officials said the board of trustees and Astrab had philosophical differences and a different vision regarding the future of the college. Astrab is slated to go off of the payroll as of Aug. 31.

?It becomes a mathematical question,? spokesman Chuck Cutolo said. ?How much does the extra three months cost compared to the potential cost of litigation??

Astrab?s contract for a year is $230,000 with an additional $57,000 added for the three months, bringing the amount to nearly $300,000. He is entitled to a year of health insurance, valued at about $20,000. This adds another $6,000.

The board made Saunders the officer in charge, not an interim or acting president, since that position would have to be approved by SUNY. Saunders already makes $175,000 as executive vice president, but will make $215,000 in his new role.

As officer in charge, a position he can hold during a presidential search, Saunders is in charge of the administration. He or someone else could be named acting or interim president.

?I look forward to working with all segments of the campus and the Long Island community in advancing the mission of Nassau Community College of providing an affordable and accessible, higher education to our students and serving the region?s needs in a multiplicity of ways,? Saunders said in a written statement.

Board Chairman Geoffrey Prime said he looks forward to ?working with all segments of the campus and the Long Island community in advancing the mission of Nassau Community College of providing an affordable and accessible, higher education to our students and serving the region?s needs in a multiplicity of ways.?

Astrab arrived at NCC in November 2009 and officially became president in February 2010, leading the passage of college budgets that he believed restrained spending in light of state and county financial problems.

Amid a tight budget, Astrab didn?t renew temporary contracts of nearly 40 full-time faculty, which widened a rift between him and the faculty, who saw decisions as being made without the school?s traditional shared governance.

?The faculty argued they did not reach out enough to them as part of the decision making process,? Cutolo said. ?Dr. Astrab believed that he had.?

The school has nearly 24,000 students, making it the largest single-campus community in New York state, while Suffolk County Community College is larger, including three campuses. Although Nassau Community College?s tuition rose $258 last year, it is being held flat for the 2012-2013 academic year at $3,990.

More breaking news

Source: http://libn.com/2012/07/30/nassau-community-college-president-astrab-resigns/

lawrence lessig lawrence lessig time magazine person of the year 2011 time magazine person of the year 2011 new orleans jazz fest new orleans jazz fest louis ck