'Change Agent' To Lead UDC

He was praised for his swift and cautious response to a shooting in September, in which a freshman from the District, Shalita Middleton, was fatally wounded and another D.C. student was injured. It was the first major outbreak of violence on a U.S. college campus since the shooting at Virginia Tech the previous April, so the response was scrutinized nationally.

At UDC, Sessoms will follow former president William Pollard, who was forced out last year by trustees who were dissatisfied with his leadership and wanted him to speed up the pace of change. Stanley Jackson, a top city official, stepped in to lead the school.

Jackson will stay at UDC as senior vice president for administration and finance.

The presidential search was unusual because the search committee included, for the first time in UDC's history, representatives chosen by the mayor's office and the D.C. Council.

In July, the mayor, who has made improving education a priority, sent a letter to the trustees asking them to pause the process. "It was my hope that the Executive Branch would have had the opportunity to recruit and vet candidates for this important post," he wrote. "It is my fear that, if the vote is taken too soon, we will not have picked a candidate from as strong a pool as possible."

Dyke responded, saying that the board had paused for two weeks to give city officials an opportunity to nominate more people. He said this week, "We have still not gotten any names from the executive branch."

Fenty did not return calls yesterday but issued a statement saying: "We wish Dr. Sessoms the best of luck in his new position. There is nothing more important than providing quality education for all District residents."

Dyke said he asked the mayor's office what its concerns were. He said he was told that city officials wanted to see the creation of a community college for the city and an audit of UDC's academic programs.

Dyke said UDC is finishing the performance review and is moving forward with plans for the community college. "I hope that will mean we will get the support we need from the executive branch," he said.

Staff writer Nikita Stewart contributed to this report.