The No. 2 administrator at Heartland Community College plans to retire this month after more than a decade at the Normal college.
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rick Pearce spent 13 years at Heartland, including 6 years as provost. He was previously head of learning and student success, coming to Heartland with prior experience in academic affairs at Illinois Valley Community College and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Pearce earned his Ph.D. from Illinois State University.
In a statement, Heartland President Keith Cornille said one of Pearce's signature accomplishments was advancing technical education, adding more than 40 new programs to Heartland's academic portfolio.
“Rick’s 13 years of service at Heartland have been instrumental in helping the college grow, fostering the development of new programs of study and bringing innovation to his various roles during his tenure,” he said.
A reception will take place at 3:30 p.m. June 23 at the Normal campus. Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Sarah Diel-Hunt will take on Pearce’s role in an interim capacity beginning July 1.
