For Immediate Release

Contact: Anthony Twyman
Public Relations Coordinator
Community College of Philadelphia
Office: (215) 751-8082
atwyman@ccp.edu

SAMUEL HIRSCH APPOINTED VICE PRESIDENT AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA, June 28, 2006 - Stephen M. Curtis, president of Community College of Philadelphia, has appointed Samuel Hirsch as the new vice president for Student Affairs, effective July 10.

"Dr. Hirsch is an experienced educator and administrator, who for the past 19 years, has provided outstanding leadership for a wide range of programs and services in support of students at the Main Campus and our three Regional Centers," President Curtis said.

Hirsch said some of the areas he will focus on in his new position include outreach to and recruitment of high school students and strategies to retain current students.

"I'm excited about the opportunity for implementing strategies and initiatives to improve retention and the completion rates of students. I also look forward to enhancing the students' experience at the College," Hirsch said.

Currently, Hirsch is dean of Educational Support Services at the College, a post he has held since 1987. In his current position, he supervises the planning and administration of all College-wide academic support services and student support programs, including the developmental education and English as a Second Language programs, the Learning Lab, Center on Disability, Academic Advising and Assessment Center.

He also manages a wide range of partnerships, which he developed and implemented, that help students successfully transition from secondary education into associate's degree programs and then into baccalaureate degree programs. These initiatives include high school on-campus programs such as Advanced Tech at College, Gateway to College, Advance @ College, TRIO Upward Bound and dual admissions programs with seven area universities and colleges.

Hirsch has obtained and managed more than 15 grants totaling more than $4.5 million annually, which represent two-thirds of the College's total grant funding.

One of those grants will help the College, this fall, kick off the Gateway to College program, which will enable at-risk youths, ages 16 to 20, to simultaneously take courses at the College towards a diploma while also earning credits toward an associate's college degree or certificate. Gateway to College is part of a national effort known as the Early College High School Initiative, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Throughout his career, Hirsch has made numerous presentations at professional meetings and national conferences. He also has consulted for a variety of colleges and organizations. In 2001, he was selected by the American Association of Community Colleges to be one of five national mentors in the Teaching Scholar Partnership, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. In 2004, he was selected to participate in the association's Future Leaders Institute.

Hirsch has a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University, a Master of Arts in Education from Arcadia University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wilmington College.