The woman asked Peters if he was the college’s new president. He said he was. Then the woman told him that she appreciates all the work faculty and staff do at Southern Crescent.
It’s that kind of unsolicited feedback that has turned the first three weeks of Peters’ presidency, which officially began on Oct. 1, into an overall positive experience, he said.
“As soon as I got here, it was evident that there are a lot of good people doing a good job,” said Peters, who previously served as the president of Heart of Georgia Technical College. “Everyone has been warm, inviting and welcoming.”
Asked what his expectations are for students and faculty, the U.S. Army veteran of almost 23 years said getting students in the workplace and keeping faculty focused on student success.
This includes promoting popular programs — such as the culinary arts program, which had 20 students a year ago and now has 150 — and steering clear of those that are unlikely to generate jobs in the community after graduation.
“Our real aim is to put people to work,” he said.
And there are more of those people than ever, with Southern Crescent serving more than 10,000 credit students in fiscal year 2010. Yet this tremendous growth has a flip-side to it.
“We are literally running out of space. We are landlocked,” Peters said.
While the commercial truck driving program will soon be moved from Griffin to Butts County, it will only be a temporary gain of space, especially considering that a new medical building will go out for bid in the spring, Peters said.
Space concerns, however, can’t bring down Peters’ excitement over making things happen at Southern Crescent. And his leadership style may help in getting everyone involved in that mission, he believes.
“I’m a management-by-walking-around guy,” he said. “I don’t want people to have to ask me what to do. If things are moral, legal, ethical and fair, I want staff to do that.
“My job is to conduct the orchestra, not to play all the instruments,” he said.
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