John Cox, former president of Cape Cod Community College, speaking at the 2024 Fall PTK Induction Ceremony (Cape Cod Community College)
By Bec Rapacz and Richard Clark
After nearly five months of paid administrative leave, Cape Cod Community College’s President John Cox has officially announced his retirement, effective March 17.
The Board of Trustees will meet Thursday, March 19, to discuss short-term and long-term college leadership. The meeting will be held virtually only, starting at 4:30 p.m., with the livestream available to the public.
On Oct. 23, 2025, Board of Trustees Chair Tammy Glivinski-Saben sent out a notice that the board had voted to place Cox on paid administrative leave, effective immediately. Within this notice she stated: “As this matter relates to an ongoing personnel issue… we are unable to provide further information at this time. If and when information becomes available that we are able to share with the college community, we will notify you as soon as possible.”
According to the board’s Oct. 23 meeting agenda, the lack of transparency related to Cox’s leave is due to the subject matter falling under: “Executive Session pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, 21(a)(1) to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.”
No further information related to Cox has been released to the public following his leave. Chris Clark, the current vice president of finance and operations, was named the temporary administrator in charge on Oct. 23 when Cox’s leave was announced. On Nov. 19, Dr. Carlnita Greene, the current vice president of academic affairs, took over the role. The Nov. 19 notice also restated the board’s commitment to transparency and delivering information as soon as possible.
Regarding Cox’s paid leave, Patrick Stone, director of strategic communications and marketing at 4Cs, stated, “As that leave is related to an ongoing personnel matter, there’s no more information than that. What’s next is a public meeting of the Board of Trustees this Thursday where immediate plans for the future will be discussed, including options for appointing an interim president. Following that, a national search will be conducted for the next president.”
On March 6, a notice of concern, written by Professor Michael Bejtlich on behalf of the Cape Cod Community College Association Executive Board, a union composed of 4Cs part time, full time and professional staff, was submitted to the Board of Trustees.
The notice of concern was a plea for information and requested a written response from the Board of Trustees within 15 days of its receival. It requested that the board provide a public update on a general timeline of its plans moving forward, as well as a “high-level status of the process (for example, whether the matter is in an investigative, deliberative, or resolution phase), without disclosing confidential personnel details.” It also requests a commitment to regular communication until a permanent president is in place, and “to the extent permitted by law, direct a review of prior executive-session minutes related to this matter and release any portions that can be made public without undermining confidentiality or due process.”
The letter also details the importance of transparency on the issue, stating that “prolonged ambiguity about executive authority and direction is impeding decision-making on issues that cannot be deferred without consequence, or have not been executed with sufficient dispatch.” These issues are directly stated in the letter as the following operational concerns: standards for AI use, decisions on remote/hybrid and in-person modalities, and institutional risk and compliance work.
Following a Board of Trustees meeting on March 10, Bejtlich, who is also the president of the Cape Cod Community College Association, briefly spoke with the MainSheet stating that, “Something has to happen, and it has to happen soon.”
In regard to Cox’s retirement notice, Bejtlich said, “I am relieved that this stage of the saga is over, whatever it was all about. President Cox’s decision to wait nearly five months to retire does not feel like a very heroic decision to me. Now it will likely take over a year to go through a national search for a new president. The situation does not seem to me to have been handled in the best interests of the college – I think it took way too long.”
The public can view the Board of Trustees meeting on March 19 here.
