Joyce Helens Named Acting President of RCTC

Joyce Helens Named Acting President of Rochester Community and Technical College
Peg Shroyer to serve as SCTCC acting president

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 7, 2015 – Joyce Helens, president of St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) since 2006, has been named acting president of Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) effective January 9. The appointment follows the resignation of current president Leslie McClellon. During this temporary assignment, Peg Shroyer, vice president of academic affairs at SCTCC, has been named to serve as acting president of SCTCC. 

“As an experienced sitting president of a highly successful technical and community college, Joyce Helens is the ideal person to guide RCTC though this transition,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. “She is a thoughtful and effective leader who works collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community partners to get things done. Her deep experience means that she will be ready on day one to help RCTC prepare for the search and recruitment of its new, permanent president.”

Helens’ accomplishments include leading the enhancement of SCTCC’s mission to a comprehensive technically-based community college and initiating new programs to meet the changing needs of the region. Previously, she served as executive director of the University of Alaska Statewide System Corporate Programs, dean, chief instructional officer, and interim chief executive officer at University of Alaska Anchorage Community and Technical College, president of Peninsula College (WA), and executive dean of Continuing Education and Economic Development at Collin County Community College (TX). She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Martin’s University and a master’s from Portland State University.

 “I am honored to have been selected for this role, and I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and students at RCTC as well as the members of the Rochester community who are so committed to the continued success of the college,” said Helens.          

Shroyer has served as vice president of academic affairs at SCTCC since 2009, providing leadership for academic matters related to technical/general education and four academic divisions. Her responsibilities have included oversight of all academic budgets, curriculum and academic programming, connections to the community and K-12, and custom/contract training. Previously, she served Spoon River College (IL) as dean of the Macomb Campus and dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, and Itasca Community College where she taught for ten years and served as the administrator of the Center for Continued Learning and the director of the Computer Education Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College (CO), a master’s from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

“I have had the privilege of working with President Helens for many years, and I am honored to have been selected to serve as acting president during her absence,” said Shroyer. “The college is in excellent shape and I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students, and members of the St. Cloud community to continue our momentum until she returns.”

Chancellor Rosenstone has initiated a search for a permanent president for RCTC with the goal of having a new leader in place at the start of the 2016-2017 academic year. He expects to recommend to the Board of Trustees at their January 27 meeting that Helens be named to serve as interim president until the permanent president is in place. Helens also will serve as chair of the RCTC presidential search advisory committee. Once a permanent president is in place at RCTC Helens and Shroyer will return to their respective roles at SCTCC.                 

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About St. Cloud Technical and Community College

St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) is located in the heart of Central Minnesota. Founded as the second technical college in the state in 1948, SCTCC has committed to meeting the needs of our community through its 90 programs of study that closely match the types of jobs available in the area.

About Rochester Community and Technical College

Established in 1915, Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) is the largest higher education provider in the fastest-growing city in Minnesota, serving more than 8,000 students in credit courses and nearly 3,700 in non-credit continuing and workforce education programs. RCTC combines the best in liberal arts, technical, and life-long learning with more than 70 credit-based programs and over 100 credential options. RCTC’s expansive 518-acre campus includes university partnerships, a diverse student body, and a vibrant student life program. RCTC provides a unique learning environment that offers the feel of a four-year university campus with the commitment to access and opportunity of a two-year college.

About Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities include 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving more than 400,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system in the United States.