Brava to Dr. Constance Carroll! San Diego Tribune Living legacy: Carroll receives award honoring MLK For community college chancellor, education proved to be her calling By Peter Rowe9:10 A.M.JAN. 16, 2015 At today’s YMCA breakfast honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, the annual Human Dignity Award was presented to Constance M. Carroll. In the sold-out crowd at the Town & Country Resort, probably only one person wondered if this recipient is worthy: Carroll. “I always attend this breakfast,” said the 69-year-old chancellor of the San Diego Community College District. “I saw this award go to Dr. Leon Kelly, the Rev. George Walker Smith, Tony Gwynn — many people whom I have a huge admiration for. “I never thought of myself as being in their league.” This modesty is typical. Carroll is soft-spoken and — at not quite 5-foot-3 — not a towering presence. But her resume stands tall with accomplishments. “When people learn about her educational prowess, they are pretty impressed,” said Mary Lyons, the University of San Diego president and a friend. “She may make a classical literary allusion from time to time, but she’s not one to lord it over other folks.” If Carroll is cool, community colleges — publicly supported two-year schools — are suddenly hot. Last week, President Barack Obama proposed waiving tuition at these institutions. California, meanwhile, is preparing a pilot program that will allow some of these schools to offer bachelor’s degrees, a role now reserved for four-year colleges and universities. The momentum on these campuses reminds some of another campaign: the civil rights movement. “The question of the 21st century is, ‘What is society’s obligation to educate people beyond high school?’ ” Carroll said. “That is going to determine who rises above the poverty line and makes it into the middle class and who doesn’t.” Ancient Greek As an African-American girl in Baltimore, Carroll witnessed one of public education’s grimmest chapters, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education opened doors to the Carroll family. Constance’s mother, Rebecca Carroll, would eventually become deputy superintendent of Baltimore public schools and had a Ph.D. in education. Her father, James Carroll, was a school principal and football coach with a master’s in history. The court’s decision made a wider world available to the city’s African-American population — at least by law. Some ugly attitudes, though, remained. “It’s always difficult to make change when it’s enforced by court orders and federal troops,” Carroll said. “For children, it was kind of a harsh awakening.” She was sustained by a love of learning. Her parents introduced their daughter to history, literature, the arts — Carroll remains an opera fan and avid reader of nonfiction. She enjoyed her high school Latin and her college studies of ancient Greek. “It’s an easy alphabet to master,” she said. “There are only 13 letters that are different from English. And once you master that, you’ve opened a portal onto a beautiful language and culture.” She plumbed this arcane subject at Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University as an undergraduate; in Greece, during a term abroad; and while earning a master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. Her favorite play is Sophocles’ “Antigone,” and she hoped to introduce students to similar masterworks from a bygone world. One problem: There were, and are, few jobs teaching the classics. Instead, Carroll took a junior administrative post at Pitt. While she’s taught the occasional class since then, she’s never been a full-time teacher. Instead, she became an associate dean at what is now the University of Southern Maine. In 1977, she moved to the West Coast to become the College of Marin’s president. Then she assumed the presidency of Saddleback College (1982). Then, arriving in San Diego, the presidency of Mesa College (1993). The Marylander felt at home in California — and in the community college system. “I love community colleges,” she said. “The students — this is a big issue for us — the students really need the opportunity that community colleges afford. They are not indifferent to their education.” In 2004, she became chancellor of the San Diego district, overseeing the 130,000 men and women attending Mesa, San Diego City College, Miramar College and continuing education programs. She’s served on dozens of local and national boards, from the National Council on the Humanities to the University of San Diego. If this all sounds as dry as ancient Greek, think again. Her past includes several disco dancing titles, while her present includes her role as co-founder of San Diego Republic. That T-shirt company’s top tee riffs on the California state flag. Instead of a grizzly, the shirts feature a panda on the prowl. “This woman, who has a public persona that is extra professional and serious and committed, has a tremendous creative side as well,” Lyons said. “She’s kind of a Renaissance woman.” Rainbow of people Although Carroll routinely logs 70-hour work weeks, for which the chancellor is paid about $283,000, she’s not entirely defined by her job. She’s a fan of old movies, Meryl Streep and Sidney Poitier. She’s a brisk walker whose regular workout includes free weights. She’s a healthy diner. “She’s famous for her grilled lemon-pepper trout and baked salmon,” said Martha Barnette, a friend and co-host of the syndicated radio show “A Way with Words.” Yet nothing gives her a greater thrill than graduation ceremonies at one of her three campuses. She’s always struck by the maturity of the student body — the average age is 29. By their diversity — about 34 percent Latino, 32 percent white, 18 to 20 percent Asian, about 9 percent African-American. “It’s a real rainbow of people,” she said. And an array of talent. Alumni include Annette Bening, a four-time Oscar nominee; Jim Sinegal, Costco co-founder and former CEO; and Cameron Crowe, the filmmaker and writer. Yes, she has other interests. But can anything — even a Puccini aria — top a life in education? “This is my calling,” she said, “this is my vocation.”
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 05:58:05 +0000
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