Alice Pecoraro, vice president of academic affairs, has made the decision to retire on Aug. 1, 2003, after working for 21 years at Nicholls.
Pecoraro became the vice president of academic affairs in 1997 after serving as assistant vice president of academic affairs for three years under Nolan LeCompte. Pecoraro said the primary reason for her retirement decision was her family.
“We (my family) have been discussing it for the past two years, and I determined that it was in the best interest of my family for me to retire at this time so I can spend more time with them,” Pecoraro said.
“It was an extremely difficult decision because I love the people here at Nicholls. It (the decision) has nothing to do with all of the changes (in administration).”
In fall of 1982, Pecoraro came to Nicholls as an assistant professor of Family and Consumer Sciences and was promoted to professor of Family and Consumer Sciences. She also served as Nicholls’ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) director during the Nicholls’ last accreditation visit in the spring of 1995.
“I think my biggest accomplishment (as vice president of academic affairs) is perhaps the rejuvenation of the honors program, and I hope that in some way I have contributed to higher academic standards while promoting the personal touch to students,” Pecoraro said.
“I consider myself to have been very fortunate and honored to be the vice president of academic affairs. There hasn’t been a day in 21 years when I didn’t want to come to work.”
Pecoraro said before she retires she will focus on insuring that the initiatives she feels are important are under way. She said those initiatives include the accreditation process, the new academic programs such as the geomatics degree and the new master’s program in biological science, the further development of the honor’s program, the continuation of the Jubilee festival and the new evaluation process for faculty and department heads.
Pecoraro said she will continue to keep in contact with the University after her retirement.
“I plan to become an active member of the alumni association and plan to be appointed to the Jubilee committee,” Pecoraro said. Pecoraro said the process of selecting a new vice president of academic affairs will be up to the new president. She predicts the new president will appoint an interim vice president of academic affairs since the University of Louisiana System board does require a national search for new vice presidents. The new president will likely appoint a search committee of faculty, staff and students.
Pecoraro said she feels the interim will probably serve for a year, and then a new vice president of academic affairs will be selected and probably begin July 1, 2004.
“The timing (of the selection of the new vice president) I think will be very good because the new vice president will be here two full years prior to the SACS visitation,” Pecoraro said.
“It will be very important to have someone in place who understands the processes and procedures here.”
Pecoraro said she hopes to see more community support for the University in the future.
“I hope to see the University become the school of choice for many more students in our region,” Pecoraro said. “I also hope to see the people in the region fully appreciate Nicholls and become active supporters in several ways by donating funds for various programs, participating in events and by sending their children and grandchildren here.”