Sandy Shugart, president of Valencia College, announced today that he will retire from the college in June 2021. Shugart, who has led the college since 2000, made the announcement at Valencia’s annual Academic Assembly, which was held online.
“Serving as the fourth president of Valencia College, being a part of this extraordinary team of faculty and staff, serving each student in a meaningful way and impacting our community has been a privilege beyond measure,” Shugart said, in an email sent to the college’s employees today.
“I know that I speak for the entire board of trustees when I express our deep appreciation to Dr. Shugart for his positive impact on the students and community during his 20-plus years of service at Valencia College,” said Tracey Stockwell, chair of Valencia College’s board of trustees. “There is much to celebrate as we reflect on Dr. Shugart’s tenure at the college. This includes unparalleled graduation rates, the creation of DirectConnect to UCF, the most successful transfer program in America, and providing exceptional leadership to the college, which was awarded the first Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.”
Shugart began his career in higher education in his home state of North Carolina, where he served as vice president and chief academic officer of the North Carolina Community College System. He then served as president of North Harris College in Houston before coming to Valencia College.