Two new members of the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees were sworn in Monday night.

Former Southern Pines Mayor Michael Fields and longtime Sandhills faculty member Robert Hayter both took the oath of office at the beginning of the meeting.

"It's an honor to serve with such civic-minded people," Fields said.

The board approved a motion that supported the North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees in adopting a new process that would expedite the confirmation of North Carolina community college presidents at the state level. The state association will present this plan to the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges.

The current selection process is too bogged down with procedure, said SCC board Chairman George Little.

"The basic problem is we're losing candidates by the time the college finalizes (their decision) and the state approves it," he said.

And while Sandhills Community College hasn't selected a new president since 1989 and has no plans to do so anytime soon, Little said a faster decision process between the local community college board and state board of community colleges will benefit the school.

"Governance is a major issue any time in community colleges between local and state," Little said. "We hope we're refining the process to make it better."

SCC President John Dempsey said he is in the process of examining long-term capital needs when it comes to the school's facilities and grounds.

"We will be developing a package of those needs and will be sharing that with you for possible action in December," he told the board.

But for now, the college is in good shape as far as space is concerned, Dempsey said.

Dempsey also announced that the college is in the process of forming an alumni association, due in part to a large donation from a Sandhills Community College Foundation member.

"This is not going to reap any immediate benefits," he said, "but this is important for long-range philanthropic interests of the college in future years."

The board held a brief closed session during the meeting to discuss a personnel item.

Katherine Evans is an intern from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Contact her at 693-2484 or by e-mail at evanska@email.unc.edu.