SGA expresses disappointment pledges support for new CU chief

By JEFF HARVEY
Princeton Times

April 18, 2008 10:19 am

— ATHENS — The hiring of Dr. Gregory Aloia as the next president of Concord University saw a large number of Concord students disappointed their pick didn’t get the nod.
Outgoing Concord Student Government Association President Jessica Cook said, “We were somewhat surprised when the (Concord) Board (of Governors) announced that Dr. Aloia would be hired. Our support was for John David Smith.”
Smith, also one of the four finalists in the search for a new Concord president, is the current CU vice president for student affairs and dean of students. However, Cook Smith wasn’t so strongly backed by students due to his familiarity.
“He is an alumnus. He has contributed so much to the university and is already bringing in external funding. He is very pro-student in his approach to administration. We felt he could do the best job for those reasons,” she said.
The students, she added, had met with Dr. Aloia, with some liking him and others being indifferent, but Smith was still their candidate of choice.
Cook said, “I sent Dr. Aloia an e-mail (after the decision was announced) stating that, although the students had supported John David Smith, we would support him as the new president.”
— Contact Jeff Harvey at jharvey1@frontiernet.net.