Bates Technical College President David Borofsky is resigning and the college will begin looking for a replacement.

The 57-year-old educator sent out a college-wide e-mail Wednesday announcing he will resign effective Dec. 31. He told the college’s trustees of his decision at their regular meeting Tuesday evening.

“I’m just looking for another challenge,” Borofsky said when asked by The News Tribune why he is leaving.

Trustees President Calvin Pearson released a statement Wednesday saying the five-member board supported Borofsky’s decision and are parting on good terms.

“We wish him well in his future endeavors,” the statement said, adding the board is “committed to finding someone who will build on the foundation that Dr. Borofsky and the college has worked so hard to achieve.”

Pearson declined to elaborate on the statement.

The board will meet soon to decide on the recruitment process and discuss how the college will be involved.

Borofsky’s leaving had been rumored for months after he told trustees last fall that he was looking for jobs elsewhere, indicating that for family reason he wanted to leave the Northwest.

At the time trustees said they were surprised and not happy with his job-hunting. They also said there was no truth to rumors they was dissatisfied with Borofsky’s performance.

Borofsky did not land a job though he applied for several community college presidencies. Last March he said he had stopped looking for a job and wanted to stay at Bates.

Borofsky became president of Bates in December 2004 with a three-year contract for $145,000 a year.

He said Wednesday he had no new job in mind but will look for one as he attends to Bates’ business the rest of the year.

He said his decision to delay his resignation will save trustees from having to hire an interim president. Because trustees were concerned about his job-seeking and its affect on the college, he said he decided to let them know he was now back job hunting.

Bates offered him his first challenge in the technical college field, he said, adding now he wants to return to the community college field where he spent most of his career.

Karen Patjens, president of the faculty union at Bates, said the resignation announcement was a surprise but the action was not unexpected. She wished Borofsky well.

“He certainly brought a lot of changes,” she said. “There have been changes in personnel. It has not been easy this past year because of the state budget. We have weathered that storm.”

Borofsky said the next six months will give him time to work on some projects that are underway.

One is changing from a system where a student works a program eight hours a day to a credit class system, which is used in every other college in the state. He said the change will encourage more part-time adult students.

He also said a new college accreditation program must be implemented.

Among his successes, he said, was implementing a Diversity Center that has changed the culture of Bates to one of “respect and dignity.” He said the center has recorded 4,500 visits.

“I’d like to see some of the things in diversity continue and am hopeful a new president ... would have the same kind of philosophy,” he said

Partnerships created by Bates – which has about 13,000 students and three Tacoma campuses – with colleges in China and Japan is another plus, he said.

Borofsky also presided over an accreditation visit last fall that found the college in good shape.

“It means a lot for students when the college is accredited and gets a good visit,” he said.

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692

mike.archbold@thenewstribune.com