Interview with Dr. Sanford Shugart,

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.