Bradenton’s State College of Florida needs a new president. Here’s why
State College of Florida president Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld, known for leading the college after a tumultuous period, announced her retirement this week.
Probstfeld is retiring on July 1, 2024 after 27 years in higher education administrative leadership, which includes 21 years at the Bradenton college, a news release said.
Of those 21 years, Probstfeld spent the last 11 as the school’s president and 10 years as SCF’s president of finance and administration.
Probstfeld’s retirement announcement came at an SCF board of trustees meeting on Tuesday, the news release said.
“Doing the right thing for students has been my motivating factor, and knowing that I am where I can make a positive impact on students’ lives is what I love most about my job,” Probstfeld said in the news release.
The process for choosing the next president will happen at a future board meeting, according to the release.
Probstfeld became the college’s sixth president after a period of turmoil. The previous president, Dr. Lars Hafner, was ousted in October 2012 “after several months of arguments with trustees over the cost of construction projects for the school, such as a tennis court and the collegiate charter school that aims to prepare first-generation college students for higher education,” the Herald previously reported.
Hafner survived a no-confidence vote in August, while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement cleared Hafner of any wrongdoing in a forgery investigation, where he was alleged to have forged a signature of a former board chair on a 2010 state grant application for SCF’s Collegiate School, the Herald previously reported.
Hafner’s first replacement quit, which made Probstfeld the school’s third leader in a two-month span.
Probstfeld, though, has led the college since January 2013, guiding the school through the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the highlights during her presidency include:
- Initiated a two-pronged strategic plan over a 10-year period called, “Boldly Engage and Boldly Leading.”
- Property was purchased for a future Parrish campus
- Signature programs were added to the Venice campus
- A leadership development program to mentor future college leaders was created.
This story was originally published September 27, 2023 at 3:44 PM.
