“It’s clear from our interactions that J.D. has the right stuff.”

Melanie Rottweiler, left, greets Yolanda Anderson, a former Cochise College administrator now serving on the college’s foundation board. The new college president, J.D. Rottweiler, is seen in the center during a reception held Sunday in the Andrea Cracchiolo Library on the Sierra Vista campus. (Beatrice Richardson • Wick News Service)

Retired president of Cochise College Karen Nicodemus complimented new president J.D. Rottweiler during a welcome reception held yesterday on the Sierra Vista campus.

Taking over July 1, Rottweiler is the 11th president in the community college’s history appears to have already earned the respect of staff, administration and students in his two and a half months on the job.

Around 400 people turned out to meet the new president and shake his hand.

Rottweiler joked, “Usually, the only people looking forward to presidential installations are the new president and the mother.”

And though he has a sense of humor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t serious about tackling some tough problems at the college.

“People have expectations for this institution,” he added. “And, as a result, I’ve come to have a deep appreciation for the work of the 10 presidents who have preceded me.”

The college needs to compete more aggressively to accommodate traditional and nontraditional students, he said. Recruitment needs to be a top priority, but so does retention and getting students through to graduation.

“We cannot continue to lose 40 percent of our freshmen,” Rottweiler emphasized. “We should be concerned with our graduation rate. We can do better. I plan to spend a significant amount of time expanding on that effort.”

He wants to look beyond the now and prepare to meet the needs for education of students 10 years from now so the college can be prepared to offer courses that fit future careers.

While the college has a strong athletic program that helps bring students to the college, he wants to be more competitive, expand the curriculum and bring in more students to build the student base.

“We need to respond to the educational aspirations of our students, not only with degree programs but with certificates and individual courses,” he said. “But, we must be more aggressive as to what subjects will be needed in years to come.”

To be competitive and provide the learning environment that will carry a new generation into the work force, the college won’t be able to survive on state allocations and property tax. Fundraising has become essential to enhance the student experience, he said.

“We need to find ways to explain to our constituents what we are doing, why we are doing it and document how well we are doing,” Rottweiler said.

Former college president Dan Rehurek recalled the early days of community colleges when many times credits did not transfer to four-year universities. However, the University of Arizona was willing to recognize credits and allowed students and their credits to transfer.

“Cochise College was the only school for years and years and years that did that kind of thing,” Rehurek said. “... there’s no shortage of people at this college who are passionate about this place and will help you retain the culture and excellence of this college.”

Cochise College is well known for nursing and aviation schools, as was pointed out by Nicodemus. She also said enrollment was expanded through a relationship with Fort Huachuca that brought active-duty soldiers into the classrooms to complete their two-year degrees. In fact, the college had grown to be the biggest rural community college in the country and boasted an enrollment of 15,000 students at four sites in the county as well as an online presence.

“Although the college is not without external and internal challenges, I’m not alone in stating that Cochise College is a strong institution, well respected locally, throughout Arizona and beyond,” Nicodemus said.

In closing, Rottweiler said, “At the same time we confront the many issues involving strategic planning, let us not allow our priorities to become misplaced. In all of this, we need to keep our eyes on our students. Student learning must continue to be our highest priority.”