Samuel Sullivan
With a rich history and legacy that spans over 132 years, I am convinced that Paine College will continue to be the guiding light that will move forward with purpose to meet the growing needs of the community, state, nation and the world.
I am honored to have been selected to serve as the Interim President during this special time in the life of Paine College. It is a time when we must pool our talents and resources to assure the preservation of this institution for generations to come.
I am grateful to our faculty, staff and to the Paine College Board of Trustees for their support especially during these arduous times.
During the past months, news regarding Paine’s financial challenges reached throughout the community and traveled to corners across the nation. As we continue to address the College’s fiscal issues, I am appreciative for the many friends, alumni and constituents who have shared with me their intent to support Paine College during this time.
Many of our constituents are coming together and standing united in support of this great institution that was founded during the year of a great recession that lasted 38 months. In 1882, the leadership of the Methodist Episcopal Church (now United Methodist Church), and the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) envisioned a place where the underserved population would have a supportive and stimulating learning environment, a community of learning that would prepare them for work, for life and for change in the new world.
Today,nearly 133 years later, Paine College remains the beacon of hope that shines brightly in the community offering infinite opportunities for students who are our most important assets. Students come to us from points throughout the country and abroad seeking direction and embarking upon the path of intellectual discovery. During this time, we have the greatest opportunity to produce exceptional leaders who will depart Paine College to address the challenges and contemporary issues that face our global society.
Our academic programs remain strong despite our efforts to cut costs. We continue to offer academic experiences beyond the boundaries of the campus where students engage in study abroad programs, conduct research in their disciplines, and take on service learning projects in the community.