FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prince George's Community College Welcomes New President
LARGO, Md. (August 11, 2020) – Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) welcomes Dr. Falecia D. Williams as the College’s ninth president. Dr. Williams assumed her role yesterday, August 10. She succeeds Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, who retired after 25 years of service to the College, including 13 years as president.
Dr. Williams joins PGCC after nearly 22 years at Valencia College in Orlando, Fla., where she served as president of the Downtown and West campuses, comprised of more than 30,000 students out of the college’s total student body of 68,000. Dr. Williams was responsible for providing academic, administrative, and fiscal leadership to support the vision, mission, and values of Valencia College. She led a team of 17 administrators, including 15 deans, and oversaw 13 academic divisions, the library and learning support services, two student service divisions, and two faculty senate presidents. She also managed a $41 million budget. Prior to her role as president at Valencia College, she served in a series of progressively responsible roles, including interim provost for West Campus, assistant vice president for Workforce Development, dean for Workforce Development, and professor.
“I’ve always felt that the heart of a place lies within its people,” said Dr. Falecia Williams. “I am honored to start the semester anew as president of Prince George’s Community College, a place that radiates with such a rich history of excellence and innovation because of its people. I look forward to working alongside the faculty, staff, students, and community to guide the College to what I know will be an exciting and promising future.”
A noted expert in Pathways, PGCC’s highest strategic student success priority, as a campus president at Valencia College, Dr. Williams implemented a comprehensive $1.5 million Title III Pathways project to revamp student services, upgrade educational planning tools, pilot early alert protocols, and increase faculty engagement in coaching students for success. She also opened a Center for Teaching/Learning Innovation on the West campus as a place for faculty and staff to explore new technologies and build communities for innovation and exchange.
Her other noteworthy accomplishments include: the disruptive design, development, and launch of a new educational ecosystem model for a joint campus in partnership with the University of Central Florida; accreditation for the B.S. Nursing and B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology and renewed programmatic accreditation with commendations for 11 health-related programs; opening a summer bridge program that resulted in a 97 percent course success rate and 87 percent retention rate compared to 80 percent course success rate and 76 percent retention when students engaged in traditional enrollment; and garnering more than $30 million over five years to support promising practice, intellectual experimentation, capacity building, and faculty development.
Prior to Valencia College, Dr. Williams served for 10 years as a K-12 educator and coordinator.
Dr. Williams is active in numerous professional, business, civic endeavors, and board service. She holds an extensive collection of honors and awards that include: Orlando Business Journal Top Five Leaders for Economic Development; Orlando Magazine, Top 15 People to Watch; Orlando Magazine, 50 Most Powerful; Central Florida YMCA Achievers Education Advocate of the Year; and Leadership Award, American Association of Women in Community Colleges.
Dr. Falecia D. Williams holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction-community college leadership from the University of Central Florida, Orlando; a master’s degree in education, teaching, and learning, from Stetson University, Deland, Fla.; and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.
She also holds professional certifications from Stanford University as a Design Thinking Professional, and from Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management (IEM). Dr. Williams also completed an Aspen Presidential Fellowship at the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program.
More information about Dr. Falecia D. Williams is available online.
About Prince George’s Community College
Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security (2015-2020), Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) provides high-quality education and training for the progressive and career-oriented residents of Prince George’s County. From new high school graduates and career seekers to more seasoned professionals and senior citizens looking to enhance their skillsets, PGCC is comprised of students who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and goals. Serving nearly 40,000 individuals annually, the College is the first choice for higher education for residents of Prince George’s County. Collaborative partnerships, responsive degree and training programs, and a commitment to student success enables PGCC to address diverse education and workforce development demands.
For more information, visit the college website at www.pgcc.edu. Prince George’s Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (267-284-5000); www.msche.org. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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