This fall, Dr. Brinton Sprague will be Cascadia Community College’s interim president.
Currently a professor at Cascadia, Sprague was also Cascadia’s founding Vice President for Student Learning from 2000-2002. Sprague will start as interim president on Sept. 1. His contract ends June 30, 2005.
In 2002, Sprague retired from his administrative duties but continued to teach, focusing on American, European and Latin history classes. Sprague said as interim president he fully supports Cascadia’s “learning communities.”
“Learning communities are where you teach to a theme rather than a discipline,” Sprague said. “It attempts to bring the best of a couple disciplines to focus on a particular topic or theme.”
Sprague served seven years as a Naval Officer with the United States Navy from 1962 to 1969. In his teaching experiences with the Navy, Sprague said he discovered he wanted to teach college students.
“It probably started off just enjoying presenting information to people,” Sprague said. “It evolved into an important emphasis on how students learned not how I taught.”
He also said he wants to continue Cascadia’s emphasis on student learning.
In 1970, Sprague began his career as a college teacher at North Seattle Community College, where he taught history.
“It is kind of funny,” Sprague said. “I was there the day (North Seattle Community College) opened and I was at Cascadia the day it opened 30 years later. I’ve been teaching really since 1970.”
Sprague said one of the highlights of his career has been being a part of Cascadia.
“Opening Cascadia was one of the highlights of my career. We had to open that college on time and it was exhilarating work,” Sprague said.
He also said his connection to the school will encourage him to work his best for the school.
“I have a significant part of my career as an educator at Cascadia,” Sprague said. “I want in my months as interim president to help the institution flourish and that includes students, faculty and staff.”
Sprague said he wants to work for the college on many levels, from the board of trustees, the state legislature and fund raising campaigns.
“I really want to maintain the momentum of initiatives Cascadia has going,” he said.
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