Dr. Michael Rooke Selected as President of Northwestern Connecticut Community College

Mark Ojakian, President of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), announced today that Dr. Michael Rooke was selected the next President of Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted effective Nov. 27, 2015.

Dr. Rooke is currently Dean of Academic Affairs at Tunxis Community College where he has served as chief academic officer since 2009. He was previously Academic Division Advisor for the Center for Business & Technologies at Manchester Community College from 2006–09.

The selection was made after the consideration of 47 applicants for the position. Dr. Rooke will succeed Dr. Barbara Douglass who announced her retirement effective Oct. 1.

Dr. Rooke’s selection was based on his diverse experience, collaborative leadership style, passion for community colleges, and commitment to providing a high quality education to the students of the northwest region.

“I am very pleased that Dr. Rooke has emerged as the successful candidate for President of Northwestern Connecticut Community College,” said President Ojakian following his selection. “I am confident that he will lead the college forward with a dynamic agenda for growth, innovation and development."

Regent Naomi Cohen, Chair of the Regents Search Committee, also praised Dr. Rooke’s selection. “Dr. Rooke’s rich background at both the community college and university levels is a natural fit for CSCU’s goals of access and seamless transfer for our students. We are pleased that the search process, and our partnership with the College Advisory Committee, will allow Dr. Rooke to continue building vital teaching and learning opportunities for the entire Northwestern community.”

Dr. Rooke’s selection was based on his diverse experience, collaborative leadership style, passion for community colleges, and commitment to providing a high quality education to the students of the northwest region. Dr. Rooke also has a strong leadership background in campus initiatives, program development and fundraising.

“I have come to appreciate the challenges that community college students face here in our state,” said Dr. Rooke. “I have chosen to commit myself and my career to strengthening the educational opportunities for Connecticut’s community college students, both present and future, and to do everything that I can to ensure those opportunities continue to exist.”

Dr. Rooke is active on many CSCU system initiatives, including the transfer articulation between the 12 community colleges, four state universities and Charter Oak State College. He co-chaired the committee to develop a common CSCU system academic calendar for all 17 institutions. Dr. Rooke also led the community college system in implementing a College Access Challenge grant which funded the design and piloting of new developmental English and mathematics courses.

As chief academic officer at Tunxis Community College, he played a leading role in the college’s major initiatives including student success, program and faculty development, and technology transformation. He guided faculty adaptation of Ability-Based Education to align with Competency-Based General Education, and led the development of a three institution collaboration aligning New Britain High School courses with Central Connecticut State University and Tunxis Community College

Dr. Rooke has also served as both director of Information Technology and director of Academic Technology at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y., from 2003–06. Before 2003, Dr. Rooke was assistant/associate professor of chemistry at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn.

Originally from Yorkshire, England, Dr. Rooke earned his baccalaureate degree in applied chemistry from Nottingham Trent University, U.K., that included a year in an industrial adhesives company outside London. He holds a Ph.D. degree in analytical chemistry from Kansas State University, a M.S. in educational technology from Long Island University and a B.Sc. in applied chemistry from Nottingham Trent University, in Nottingham, UK.

Dr. Rooke has served on local chambers of commerce, has been involved in many activities promoting manufacturing and engineering careers, and engaged local high schools in aligning 12th grade courses with entry level college courses in both English and mathematics as well as several workforce development initiatives in the community college system.

Dr. Rooke lives in Windsor, Conn. with his wife and their three daughters.