Nassau Community needs stability
On campus at Nassau Community College (April 28, 2011) Credit: Howard Schnapp
The last thing Nassau Community College needed, after a struggle between its faculty and its president, was a criminal indictment that led the chairman of its board of trustees to resign. What the college really needs now is a period of no bad news.
Michael Freeman resigned last week, accused of participating in an affordable housing bribery-kickback scheme in New York City. On Wednesday night the board chose a new chairman: Geoffrey Prime, mayor of the Village of South Floral Park, who joined the board last year.
Wisely, in one of his first acts as chairman, Prime signed a letter to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. He said there's no evidence that Freeman did anything at the college like what's alleged in the indictment, but he offered them the school's full cooperation. At Wednesday's meeting, the board offered assurances that Freeman could not have influenced such areas as contracts and procurement, and there are plenty of checks and balances in the system.
This is a tough turn of events for a campus already deep in controversy -- including two faculty votes of no confidence in the president, Donald Astrab.
Though the board has a new chair, Freeman's resignation leaves a vacant seat. To fill it, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo should pick someone -- faculty or administrator -- with experience in higher education. As the board navigates these difficult times, that added bit of real-world educational knowledge and wisdom would help.
