The Vice President of Student Services has a new face, and name: Al Pinckney. Pinckney replaces Theresa Barry who left at the end of last semester.
Actually, Pinckney is interim, and once a new President of MATC is decided, he or she can either keep Pinckney in the position, or place someone else there.
Pinckney said, “I will do whatever is best for the institution.” He added, “I like working with students. It’s a passion that I have, and whatever capacity I can be in to accomplish that I will be a part of that team.”
Pinckney worked as Associate Vice President of Student Services. In that position he was in charge of Counseling, Financial Aid, Veteran Affairs, Student Accounts and Assessments. “The Associate is kind of an assistant to the V.P.,” Pinckney said.
Pinckney is learning that the Vice President position is very demanding. As the Associate Vice President he had half of the departments, but now he’s in charge of them all.
“Vice President of Student Services primary responsibilities are to make sure students receive the services they need to have when they’re here,” Pinckney said.
Those services include: Academic Support, registering for classes, getting financial assistance for classes and good counseling and support services.
“I think our responsibility is to make sure that the processes that we have are simple, systematic and standard so that way the students have a constant and relevantly easy flow to go through.”
However, communication is very important to Pinckney, “Most importantly, that our communications are clear, constant and concise.”
He believes if he can succeed in these areas, it would make students’ lives easier in the Administration side of college.
Changes Pinckney wants to make include communication with the students. “We need to improve communications with our students to the point where students understand what it is we are saying, and when they get something from us they see it as an important piece of information,” Pinckney said.
Pinckney said he wants to continue the Welcome Center so that students don’t have to deal with running around to get the answers they need. He wants students to have one place to get their questions or concerns answered.
Pinckney is also looking at ways to help students who are at risk. His goal is to help them sooner, and get them into classes to help them better succeed.
“It’s a big job,” Pinckney said, “But if you don’t love it you wouldn’t do it.”
However, he admits he feels limited as an interim. “I don’t want to change too much because being interim is kind of hard,” Pinckney stated.
He explained he is focusing on the “essential things that we need to change right now that really can’t wait, because it’s not advantageous to students to wait.”
Pinckney started working for MATC back in August, 2000, as Director of Financial Aid. After six years he was promoted to Associate Vice President of Student Services.
“When I was Director of Financial Aid, I had a vision, but now that I am responsible for a broader spectrum that vision has now become a reality, and it’s up to me to do what I can to continue to make it happen,” Pinckney explained.
Pinckney originally hails from South Carolina. He went to Eastern Michigan for Communication and did his graduate study at Central Michigan to get his Master’s in Education administration.
He also served in the Air Force for 12 years. Before coming here Pinckney worked at the University of Michigan in their Financial Aid office.
“And one thing led to another and here (I am),” Pinckney said laughingly.
Pinckney explained that although the job demands a lot, he says that for him it becomes worth it when he sees students reach their goals and graduate. It’s in those moments that make it all matter.
“For me when you see those students walk across the graduation stage all that you go through now goes out the window because it’s worth seeing the accomplishment of the
students.”
Pinckey added, “To see students smiling and the ones that kind of know you and they look at you and give you that smile it makes it all worth it.
