Shouan Pan
Seattle Colleges (SC) Chancellor Shouan Pan announced on May 12 that he will leave his post on Aug. 1—two years before his contract is up in 2024.
The college system’s board of trustees voted to terminate the contract early in agreement with Pan, who shared in March that he’d begun seeking jobs elsewhere. He was a finalist to lead Portland Community College this spring, but was not selected.
“Given his professional goals and the impending close of the academic year, we collectively felt the time was right for the change,” the trustees wrote in an email to Seattle Colleges staff and faculty.
Pan joined SC back in 2016. Previously, he oversaw Mesa Community College in Arizona for eight years.
Pan wrote to the advisory council via email, “I have assured the Board that I will continue to work hard through my remaining time as chancellor to help Seattle Colleges advance its crucial work to reinforce its stability and sustainability.”
His announced departure comes at a time of major turmoil for the Seattle Colleges system, as the set of three schools faces a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.