News release courtesy of Blinn College:
Blinn College has named Sylvia McMullen its new president of Brazos County campuses today after serving more than three months in an interim role.
McMullen, a 30-year veteran in educational leadership, business development, project management and marketing research, will assume her new role Jan. 1. She was named the College’s interim president in August after serving as a consultant during Blinn’s reorganization and its development of a new strategic plan.
“In the past three months, Sylvia has demonstrated that her dynamic leadership, superior planning skills and passion for Blinn College make her the perfect president for a campus that will continue to play an ever-expanding role in the future of Bryan – College Station,” said Dr. Harold Nolte, Blinn College district president.
The Blinn – Bryan campus is the College’s largest, with a record 12,771 students enrolled last Fall. McMullen said her chief priority will be to not only promote continued growth, but to prepare campus processes for anticipated enrollment increases.
“I am truly honored and excited to begin this new adventure at an institution that is already recognized for its affordable academic excellence and ability to transfer students to leading four-year universities at a rate unmatched throughout the state,” McMullen said. “I look forward to assisting our Board of Trustees, district president and faculty as we continue to plan for progressive growth across all our campuses.”
During McMullen’s tenure as interim president, she has already played a key role in a number of major accomplishments, including:
· Updating the College’s mission statement, vision statement and strategic priorities, which emphasize student success, human capital and community enhancement.
· The development of a new master plan that will lay out strategies for continued enrollment growth for the overall College and specifically for its Brazos County campuses.
· Strengthening the College’s partnerships in the Bryan – College Station community, including Texas A&M University. Texas A&M’s co-enrollment program with Blinn College was recently recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and allows hundreds of additional students to qualify for Texas A&M’s freshman class each year.
· Hiring a new dean of technical and professional programs to expand Blinn’s Workforce Education offerings and partnerships with local industry.
McMullen earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston and her Master of Educational Administration degree from Texas A&M. She has worked with more than 500 school districts in Texas, Nevada, Arkansas and New Mexico and has served on numerous state organizations, including the Texas Education Reform Foundation, the Texas Business Education Coalition and the Closing the Gap Initiative with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.