Karen Garman, Rhonda Burton, Carol Mercer, Bob Sandman, Charlotte Fairlie and Edward Agran 'Made This Institution a Better Place'
Six faculty and staff members whose service to Wilmington College totals a whopping 182 years are retiring at the end of the academic year in June.
(PICTURED) From the left are: Karen Garman, Carol Mercer, Edward Agran, Charlotte Fairlie and Bob Sandman (NOT PICTURED: Rhonda Burton).
President Jim Reynolds said, at a Thursday afternoon (April 28) reception held in their honor, that “each of them has made contributions to changing students’ lives during their time at WC.”
They include: Karen Garman, registrar/assistant dean for academic affairs; Rhonda Burton, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs; Carol Mercer, tutor coordinator in the Academic Resource Center; Bob Sandman, assistant professor of business administration at the Cincinnati Branch; Charlotte Fairlie, associate professor of English; and Edward Agran, professor of history.
Reynolds said the final two weeks leading up to Commencement are the “toughest,” not because of the hectic schedule and work load inherent with the end-of-the-year, but because of the emotions involved.
“We have students who are graduating, special events recognizing accomplishments and colleagues with whom we have shared so much that are in their final days with us on campus,” he said. “It really takes a community to take care of our students and do the work we prize so much here — this institution is a better place because of what the six of you have done during your time at Wilmington College.”
Garman will be retiring after 44 years on the staff. She started in 1972 at age 18 working in Watson Library before moving to the Academic Records Office, where she advanced from an assistant to director of academic records to registrar/assistant dean. She also held the position of special assistant to the vice president for academic affairs for several years.
Garman expressed her appreciation for the professional staff with whom she’s worked in records and noted that, in 44 years — 30 percent of the time the College has existed — she’s seen more than 10,000 degrees conferred and worked under five presidents and eight academic deans.
“This is a wonderful, wonderful community in which to work,” Garman said. “I’ve had so many wonderful individuals here with whom I’ve shared great successes.”
Mercer came to WC in 1986 and, in 30 years, worked in the President’s Office, Central Services and, in 1993, joined the Career Resources area before her current work in Academic Services. Her three daughters graduated from the College and enjoy successful careers.
Burton arrived in 1982 and worked with WC’s Prison Program for a number of years before coming to Academic Affairs.
Sandman started in 1991 as an adjunct faculty member at WC’s former Tri-County Branch and later its Eastgate campus while working full time in the publishing industry. He became a full-time faculty member in 2011, teaching courses in business, economics, statistics and global studies at the Blue Ash campus and in WC’s Cincinnati State program.
Sandman, a native of the Dayton area, recalls first seeing Wilmington College as his Boy Scout troop passed through the city en route to camp at Rocky Fork Lake.
“I viewed it as the quintessential, prototypical college and, to think that all those years later I would be teaching as part of Wilmington College,” he said, noting how satisfying it’s been to be in a position to help “create that energy and enthusiasm” in his students.
“I go with a very sad but thankful heart.”
Fairlie started at WC as an adjunct faculty member in 1993 before joining the English faculty full time in 2000. She expressed a great appreciation for her faculty colleagues and marveled at seeing “how strong the English Department has become.”
Her husband, Agran, joined the history faculty in 1993 and quickly became a student favorite as a result of the passion he showed toward his subject matter and his ability to make his classes entertaining yet substantive and demanding.
