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Newly elected Academic Senate President Dustin Hanvey is hard at work during the summer intersession, fueled by his passion to help as many people as possible.

Hanvey comes from a family of teachers: both his parents were teachers, as well as an aunt, and even his grandmother. “It’s just in the blood,” Hanvey says.

“I’ve really always enjoyed helping people—helping people become better, conveying the knowledge that I have to others, and actually learning from them too—it is a two way street.”

Over the course of his eight-year tenure at the college, Hanvey has been involved with the Academic Senate for seven years—starting off as a representative, then becoming a treasurer, vice president, and now president.

The English professor decided to run for Senate President, he said, because he had an interest in governance since a young age. However, what compels Hanvey the most is his deep concern and sincere interest in the well being of students and faculty on campus.

“[I] got involved to make a difference,” Hanvey says. As the new Senate president, Hanvey’s top priorities are to “improve communication and mutual respect on campus,” he says.

Hanvey holds true to his personal philosophy of listen first, speak later. In an effort to further improve the climate on campus, as well as improve and unite the relationships among students, administration and unions on campus, Hanvey adopts a hands-on approach. It is extremely important, he says, to “just [talk] to people—actually get out there and [not] just hide behind a closed door.”

Academic Senate Vice President A.C. Panella expressed his excitement in getting more involved with the school’s community and servicing it.

Academic Senate office secretary Judy Benson is thrilled to work in an environment with a “very approachable, personable, interactive, encouraging, and very open supervisor (Hanvey),” she said.

However, Hanvey and the Senate are preparing for a year fraught with hardships from top to bottom due to the ever-present state budget cuts. The Senate has had “to deal with large cuts, [while] trying to maintain quality in the midst of these cuts,” Hanvey said.

“[My goal is] to try to serve the same number of students, with less money…and also at the same time keep improving the quality,” he says.

The Senate is looking to host monthly town-hall meetings—for students, faculty, and management—to discuss major issues of the day. The first one is due to be held in September, Hanvey said.

“This is a service industry, and that is what we do—serve students. The more people I can serve, the better.”

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