ATHENS, W.Va. -- The incoming president of Concord University says he will start his new job with an open mind and will reach out to the students who have criticized him.

Gregory F. Aloia, a former dean at Florida Atlantic University, will begin at the Mercer County school on Monday. Aloia will replace retiring President Jerry Beasley, who led Concord for 23 years.

In April, the university's board of governors voted 9-2 to hire Aloia. He was the first pick in a faculty vote and  the second choice in a staff vote.

The student body had favored John David Smith, vice president of student affairs, said Bryan Henderson, who was business manager of the Student Government Association last year. The SGA also protested the BOG's selection of Aloia to the state's Higher Education Policy Commission.

Still, Aloia, 62, said he feels "very confident" about his ability to work with students. He has met with student leaders and plans to visit all freshman orientation classes, he said.  

"I'll listen very closely to the needs of students," he said, adding that he will prioritize the school's scholarship program.

He and his wife, Mary, have seven children, several of whom are in college now.

"I'm very much attuned to what they're interested in," he said.

Many students felt that because Aloia applied to be president of several universities, he was not as committed to Concord as Smith was, Henderson said.

Smith is well loved and familiar to the student body, said Joe Long, chairman of the school's board of governors.

"It's so much easier to have confidence in someone you know," Long said. "I have much confidence that the students will think the same of Dr. Aloia once they get to know him."

Student leaders hope Aloia will pay close attention to their concerns, such as tuition costs and aging facilities, said Curtis Kearns, secretary of the SGA.

ATHENS, W.Va. -- The incoming president of Concord University says he will start his new job with an open mind and will reach out to the students who have criticized him.

Gregory F. Aloia, a former dean at Florida Atlantic University, will begin at the Mercer County school on Monday. Aloia will replace retiring President Jerry Beasley, who led Concord for 23 years.

In April, the university's board of governors voted 9-2 to hire Aloia. He was the first pick in a faculty vote and  the second choice in a staff vote.

The student body had favored John David Smith, vice president of student affairs, said Bryan Henderson, who was business manager of the Student Government Association last year. The SGA also protested the BOG's selection of Aloia to the state's Higher Education Policy Commission.

Still, Aloia, 62, said he feels "very confident" about his ability to work with students. He has met with student leaders and plans to visit all freshman orientation classes, he said.  

"I'll listen very closely to the needs of students," he said, adding that he will prioritize the school's scholarship program.

He and his wife, Mary, have seven children, several of whom are in college now.

"I'm very much attuned to what they're interested in," he said.

Many students felt that because Aloia applied to be president of several universities, he was not as committed to Concord as Smith was, Henderson said.

Smith is well loved and familiar to the student body, said Joe Long, chairman of the school's board of governors.

"It's so much easier to have confidence in someone you know," Long said. "I have much confidence that the students will think the same of Dr. Aloia once they get to know him."

Student leaders hope Aloia will pay close attention to their concerns, such as tuition costs and aging facilities, said Curtis Kearns, secretary of the SGA.

"We hope the president will ask difficult questions, will make difficult decisions," Kearns said. "If he does do that, we'll support him. We're not going to criticize him just to be critical."

At Florida Atlantic University, Aloia was the dean of the College of Education and a professor of special education. He has also held administrative posts at Illinois State University and the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Some Concord students criticized Aloia because of a program he started at Florida Atlantic to place teachers from India in local classrooms, Henderson said. Due to a visa error, the teachers ended up facing deportation.

During the selection process, faculty, staff and students also questioned Aloia about what he would do about their dissatisfaction with three top administrators. Last May, both the faculty and staff senates voted "no confidence" in three of the university's vice presidents.

Aloia said he must survey the situation before making administrative changes.

"There's context, there's history, there's complexities involved," he said.

Outgoing President Jerry Beasley was generally well respected in the university community, faculty and students said.

"He maintained financial integrity at this institution, especially in times of budget rescissions and cutbacks," said Hugh Campbell, former president of the faculty senate and now the faculty representative on the BOG. "He led the institution into the university level and the development of graduate programs."

But many will welcome new ideas, said faculty senate president Kendra Boggess.

"We're in a really competitive environment today, and I think change is necessary," she said. 

Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com or 348-1240.