The Chair Academy
Feb 10, 2018
A discussion between Chair Academy Executive Director: Rose Marie Sloan and Dr. Sanford Shugart,
President of Valencia College.
Dr. Sanford Shugart, known as “Sandy” to many, is the President
of Valencia College, located in greater Orlando, Florida, and has
served as such since 2000.
Serving some 70,000 students per year, Valencia is known for
high rates of graduation, transfer, and job placement and has
become something of a national laboratory for best practices
in learning-centered education. It is one of the most celebrated
community colleges in America, winner of the first Aspen Prize
for Excellence.
Prior to Valencia, Dr. Shugart served as President of North
Harris College and as Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
of the North Carolina Community College System. He earned
his Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In addition to his career in education, Dr. Shugart is a published poet and songwriter and author of Leadership in the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader. Leadership Managing Editor, Rose Marie Sloan, interviewed Dr. Shugart as Valencia College hosted the Chair Academy’s 26th Annual International Leadership Conference at the beautiful Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. We are excited to have this opportunity to share his responses around several leadership, post-secondary, and conversational issues.