Anne Arundel Community College taps interim president who faced no-confidence vote

Two months after faculty at Anne Arundel Community College voted no confidence in their provost, Tanya Millner, she has been named the school’s interim president.

The college’s board of trustees voted unanimously to elevate Millner, who has served as provost and vice president of learning since August 2021, to the interim position. A nationwide search for a permanent president is underway, with the goal of naming a new leader by the end of the calendar year. The new president would be on the job by July 2027.

“The board has full confidence in Dr. Millner’s ability to guide the college through this period of intentional transition,” said A. Joyce Price-Jones, chair of the board of trustees, in a statement.

Millner will be replacing Dr. Dawn Lindsay, who announced her retirement last November after leading the community college for 13 years.

“I have every confidence that Dr. Millner will support the college’s strategic plan,” said Lindsay in a statement. “I know her to be a caring and brave leader who will continue to move AACC forward as a dynamic, student-centered college.”

Faculty voted no confidence in Millner’s ability to do her job on March 4, according to the school’s student newspaper. Faculty criticized her decision to cut classes with fewer than 15 students and make faculty teach a required five classes per semester.

Suzanne Spoor, an English professor at the community college, told the student newspaper last month that Millner “doesn’t hold herself accountable to faculty” and “doesn’t see herself as accountable to a faculty relationship.”

The community college recognized its faculty union last year. Price-Jones, the college’s board chair, said in a statement that Millner will oversee initiatives to clarify faculty representation and “how faculty and administration can work together to ensure shared governance.”

According to the announcement, the board selected Millner based on her “institutional knowledge, academic background and commitment to students.”

In her role as provost, Millner led five schools of study: business and law, continuing education, liberal arts and science, health sciences, and technology and education. In addition, she oversaw strategic planning in conjunction with the college’s president, teaching and learning advancement and research.

Millner, as provost, was also responsible for faculty and instructional staff hiring, promotion and tenure, and budget management.

“I am honored to serve AACC during this important time as we build upon the solid foundation provided by Dr. Lindsay,” Millner said in a statement. “This is a time of significant changes at the college, but each change is part of a broader effort to strengthen the institution to deliver exceptional learning experiences for everyone at AACC.”

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