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Revision as of 16:32, 29 June 2014

David Pollick

G. David Pollick (born 1948) was the 12th president of Birmingham-Southern College. He succeeded Neal Berte in July 2004 and resigned in August 2010 following a massive accounting controversy.

During the Vietnam War, Pollick, then a freshman, dropped out of the University of San Diego and joined the United States Navy, serving as a petty officer on a submarine crew in the Pacific from 1966 to 1968. After the war he returned to school and settled on philosophy. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from San Diego; and went on to receive a master’s in philosophy from the University of Ottawa, and a Ph.L. in philosophy from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa.

When he returned to the classroom as a professor, Pollick struggled with his perceived deficit of "life experience" as a foundation for his pedagogy. He signed up with a Catholic charity operating in the desert of Southern California, eventually directing a heroin rehabilitation center. He established a one-room school for emotionally disturbed children and later taught neurologically handicapped kids at a private institute.

After that he returned to the University of Ottowa for his Ph.D. and resumed his academic career. He has held administrative and academic positions at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict, both in Minnesota. He then became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of philosophy at Seattle University in Washington, and acting president and provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York College at Cortland.

Until 1996, Pollick was co-chief executive officer and president of the Art Institute of Chicago and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He left Chicago to become the president of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, a private liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

In 2004 he came to Birmingham to take the helm at Birmingham-Southern. His plans for the college included increasing enrollment to 1,800 students and making BSC a center for discourse on human dignity. In early 2010 Pollick announced the discovery of a years-long problem with budgeting for student financial aid, which inflated revenue projections and required massive budget cuts, including the elimination of five majors and 29 faculty positions. He resigned that August.

In March 2014 Pollick began serving as provost and chief operating officer for the European Humanities University in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Pollick married the acclaimed violinist Karen Bentley in 2003. He has two children by a previous marriage.

Preceded by:
Neal Berte
President of Birmingham-Southern College
20042010
Succeeded by:
Mark Schantz (interim)


References

  • Dr. G. David Pollick. Birmingham-Southern College
  • Singleton, William C. III (March 23, 2004) "Birmingham-Southern welcomes philosophical new president." Birmingham Post-Herald
  • Garrison, Greg (August 11, 2010) "Birmingham-Southern College trustees name Provost Mark Schantz as interim president." The Birmingham News