Terrie Sellers, the former dean at Savannah Technical College’s Liberty campus, has been promoted to vice president of student affairs for the whole school.
Her new responsibilities include the main campus in Savannah as well as Savannah Tech’s campuses in Liberty and Effingham counties.
Sellers said she began at Savannah Tech’s Liberty campus as a classroom instructor for early childhood care in 2000. She has served as the interim dean of student affairs for more than nine months.
“I’ve been driving back and forth to the Liberty campus to check on things and help out where I can,” Sellers said, noting that her new role will have her commuting between the three campuses. “There are some aspects of the new job that are similar, but they’re much broader.”
She said in her former position, she reported to the vice president of student affairs. That will allow her to have some say in selecting her replacement. She believes Liberty campus’ dean position will be filled by the end of August, when the fall semester begins.
“I’ll sit on a board as part of the hiring process,” she said. “First, we’ll narrow down the selection to just two or three people then there’ll be a second tier interview, maybe with Dr. (Kathy) Love, Savannah Tech’s president.”
Sellers said she began her career in education at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort. She worked there for 13 years before coming to Savannah Tech. She said shortly after she started her first job at the Liberty campus, she was moved up to department head at the Savannah campus, only to return to the Liberty campus as the director of instruction. That job’s title was later changed to dean of student affairs, she said.
“I have mixed emotions about leaving the Liberty campus,” she said. “I mean, I worked there a number of years — probably 10 years total. I will miss the team there, but I’ll continue working with them in my new role, making decisions that will affect them. I think it’s a great thing.”
Sellers holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in early childhood education from Georgia Southern University. She described herself as the kind of person who lives to learn. She noted, however, that a lot of Savannah Tech students are non-traditional students. They’ve waited later in life to improve their education, or they’ve decided to live out a dream by learning to do something different, she said.
She said it’s her job and the job of all Savannah Tech faculty and staff to encourage these older students to get started. That’s what motivates her, she said, adding that her reward is watching them walk across a stage on graduation night.
“My family is very excited (about the promotion),” Sellers said. “Everybody has just been wonderful. After Dr. Love sent out that announcement, I must have gotten over 200 emails congratulating me.”
Sellers said she grew up in this area, and people feel like they have a part in her achievement.
According to a June 25 Savannah Tech press release, Seller’s new role will involve oversight of college services for current and prospective students. Specific areas of responsibility include counseling, admission, orientation, assessment, financial aid, job placement, disability services, operation of the Center for Working Families, graduation events and student activities.