Stacy Pfluger, Southeast Arkansas College provost and vice president of instruction who recently served as interim president of the Pine Bluff campus, will soon rejoin her former supervisor in California’s Kern Community College District.
The Bakersfield-based college system named Pfluger its new vice chancellor for educational services and student success. The Kern district is helmed by Chancellor Steven Bloomberg, who was president at SEARK for six years until his departure Feb. 16. Pfluger served as SEARK’s interim chief until Tyrone Jackson began July 1.
Pfluger’s last day at SEARK is Thursday and will start at Kern on Aug. 12. Her new duties will be similar to those at SEARK in that she’ll head academic affairs and student support services, but different in that she’ll work on the system level.
“It’s just a different scope in that you’re working with individual campus presidents and campus vice presidents,” Pfluger explained. Three colleges comprise the Kern district.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Pfluger added Bloomberg talked with her for months about applying for the role before she finally decided to do so.
“He’s probably been more of a role model to me than he realizes, just in the way he interacts with people,” Pfluger said of Bloomberg. “He had to work on me for a while. Don’t get me wrong, because this was not an easy decision. There’s a lot of good people here and a lot of good things happening. It was not an easy thing to walk away from, but I am excited to be able to work with him again and see what the next chapter brings.”
Bloomberg said a national search was conducted for Pfluger’s new position, using the hiring process committee at Kern and an on-site interview. Those on the committee selected Pfluger unanimously, he specified.
“Both Dr. Pfluger and I share a passion for serving students,” Bloomberg said via phone. ” When I was at SEARK, we changed our vision statement to ‘Empowering students, changing lives.’ She’ll have the opportunity to do that for three colleges to advance our student success agenda.”
Pfluger was hired as SEARK’s vice president of academic affairs in May 2022 and promoted to provost in January 2023. The former biology instructor received a doctorate from Texas Tech University, a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and bachelor’s from Angelo State University in west Texas.
“This has been an amazing place to spend a couple of years,” Pfluger said of SEARK. “Lots of really good people, and I think the college has a lot of good things going. I think it’s positioned very well for the future. I expect to hear good things in the years to come. And I’m going to keep in touch with people.”
Jackson on Tuesday credited Pfluger with helping him during the presidential transition.
Pfluger’s position at SEARK is one of three administrative roles Jackson is now tasked with filling. The other two are dean of health professions and executive director of institutional advancement and community relations. The latter role has recently been vacated by Barbara Dunn, who will begin her role as executive director of Pine Bluff Convention Center and the city’s Civic Auditorium Complex Commission on Aug. 5.
“I’d like for the person who fills Dr. Pfluger’s position to hire the dean of health professions because that person will report to the vice president of instruction,” Jackson said.
BOARD APPROVES REEF FUNDING
The SEARK board authorized Jackson to fund an additional $375,000 for The Reef housing project.
The additional funds will cover overages in a number of areas in the residential hall, which opened last August. Those overages result from a request from the food service provider to build out the facility kitchen, additional costs for equipment and increased costs in materials, an upgrade to a fire suppression system and a replacement of room doors.
The motion for additional funding was previously tabled until Jackson had the opportunity to walk through the residential hall, located across from the Relyance Bank Athletic Complex, 4 miles south of campus on South Hazel Street.
This version corrects Pfluger’s academic credentials.