Salem Community College (SCC) recently promoted Associate Professor Michael D. Burbine to full professor.

Upon joining SCC in 1990, Burbine held administrative positions of increasing responsibility in Student Affairs and Academic Affairs until January 2006, when he was named associate professor of education and social sciences.

Professor is the highest rank for a faculty member in higher education. At SCC, the promotion is based on the faculty member’s teaching ability and effectiveness; professional development, scholarship and mastery of subject; contributions to the College and community; and annual evaluations and letters of recommendation. Burbine is only the third professor in SCC’s 45-year history, following Dr. Rudolph Pasler and William Borda.

“Professor Burbine’s promotion is enormously well deserved,” said President Mike Gorman. “He delivers quality instruction every day to every student. He is highly respected by his College peers, students, alumni and the educational community in Salem County and beyond.”

In recent years, Burbine has chaired the curriculum review, institutional diversity and faculty medallion selection committees. He also serves on the college coordinating committee and served on the Middle States steering committee for SCC’s successful reaccreditation.

He earned the National Medallion of Excellence from the National Institute for Student and Organizational Development and SCC’s Faculty Excellence Award, both in 2009. He is a three-time recipient of the SCC Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Champion recognition (selected by EOF students) and the College’s Arlene Kelley Service to Students Award.

Burbine earned a master’s of arts degree, specializing in community college education, from Rowan University. He also has completed graduate courses in pastoral counseling (Washington Theological Union) and history (Villanova University). He earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in education and history from Villanova, where he was class valedictorian and recognized as the outstanding education graduate.