The head of Richmond Community College will step down to accept a job in the community college system’s headquarters in Raleigh.

Dr. Sharon Morrissey started her tenure as the sixth president of Richmond Community College on Feb. 1, 2008. Her resignation is effective at the end of February 2010.

“In my new role, I will provide leadership at the system level to develop and implement new initiatives designed to increase graduation and completion rates and help more students achieve their goals in North Carolina’s community colleges,” Morrissey wrote in a letter to the college’s faculty and staff Friday. “I will be especially mindful of the resource challenges experienced by small, rural colleges.”

North Carolina Community College System President Dr. Scott Ralls pointed to Morrissey’s experience at the state level, and at individual community colleges, to explain why she is uniquely qualified for the position.

“I know it’s a bit of a loss for Richmond County,” Ralls said. “But we will be doing everything we can to assist them in the search for a new president, and overall, I think this is a great gain for the state of North Carolina.”

He said Morrissey was the “point person” in retooling the state’s community colleges to go to a semester-based schedule and to allow community college credits to transfer to any of the state’s 16 public universities.

“She has been at the root of some of the more innovative projects in the history of the North Carolina Community College system,” he said.

Morrissey came to Richmond County from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College where she served as Vice President for Instructional Services. Her previous experience with the community colleges includes English Instructor at Central Carolina Community College, Vice President for Academic and Student Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College and Program Coordinator and Associate Vice President for the state system.

Born and raised in Franklin, Morrissey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s degree in English from Western Carolina University and a Doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University.

She and her husband Tim have one daughter, Maggie, who is a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill.

She said the two things she did that she is most proud of during her tenure as RCC president was to establish a strategic plan for the school, and further Richmond County’s interests in the Fort Bragg Base Realignment and Closure Initiative.

“I think the plan is significant, because we actually went out and met with the community to identify what it needs this college to be, and we came with a great plan, that will really serve as a blueprint for the college when the new president arrives,” she said.

She also said when she first arrived former RCC President Dr. Diane Honeycutt told her to pay special attention to the developments with BRAC.

“Through that initiative, we have done a lot of work to raise the level of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math instruction in our public schools and at the community college,” she said. “I hope I have provided leadership in those efforts.”

She said the two things she’d like to point out to a potential successor are the talents of the staff of the college, and the diversity of the school’s student body.

“Especially this spring, I think you’ve seen a rise, not only in the number of traditional community college students, people who are older and have perhaps lost their job or are looking for something more out of life,” Morrissey said. “But we have also seen an increase in the number of younger students who are making RCC their first choice because of the expense of attending a university.”

She said her tours of campus and classroom observations have lent her insight into the “richness of the education when you bring together those diverse elements.”

During her tenure, she also did much to bring attention to the college, hosting a legislative breakfast with statewide-elected officials to make a case for funding of rural community colleges at the height of the budgeting crisis in the state this year, and hosting national officials at the White House’s Rural Town Hall Meeting earlier this summer.

RCC Board of Trustees Chairman Hugh Lee said the board called a meeting for Monday evening to establish the search committee.

“She was a hard worker, and very efficient,” Lee said. “She really worked hard for the college and did a lot of (public relations) work.”

He said his personal preference is to hire someone who “is dedicated to the community college system, and understands the work the community college does.”

“I, personally, would look very closely at people in the house,” Lee said. “I’ve always believed in growing your own, but better candidates may come along, and ultimately, what we want is the best candidate.”

Ralls said the college must identify a candidate, and submit that candidate to the state system for approval.

“Generally, the whole process takes about six to nine months,” he said.

Since 1977, RCC has had four presidents, with the late Dr. Ken Melvin serving until 1985, Joe Grimsley from 1985 to 2001, Honeycutt from 2001 to 2008, and finally Morrissey who will step down at the end of February.

“I promise you that between now and March 1, I will continue to work as

hard for Richmond Community College as I have every day since I came

here,” Morrissey wrote to staff. “We have accomplished a lot, and we will continue to move forward together as we prepare for the upcoming transition.”