Here’s a round-up of college news around Southwest and Southside. Want more education news? There’s no full-time education reporter west of Richmond. That’s one of the positions we’re raising money for. You can help fund us.

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Radford names interim provost

Marten L. denBoer has been named Radford University’s interim provost for the 2022-2023 academic year, effective July 1. His appointment comes after search and interview process that included members of the university cabinet, the academic affairs leadership team, and the Faculty Senate executive council.

Radford worked with The Registry, an agency that assists universities as they seek temporary interims for senior leadership positions, and denBoer was selected from a pool of more than 20 candidates, according to a statement.

J. Orion Rogers, has served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for the last year, stepping in for Carolyn “Lyn” Ringer Lepre, who led the university as interim president during that time. Rogers’ impending retirement and Lepre’s announcement of her new post as president of Salisbury University in Maryland created an immediate need to fill the critical role for academic leadership.

“With the ongoing turnover in Radford’s provost position, Marten brings a wealth of direct experience to the role to assist us through the transition to my presidency,” said incoming president Bret Danilowicz in a statement. “He has kindly agreed to serve Radford until the search for the permanent provost is complete.”

DenBoer was provost, then special assistant, at DePaul University for six years and was provost at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, for seven years. His previous leadership experience includes associate provost at Queens College of the City University of New York and physics department chair at Hunter College CUNY.

As provost at DePaul University, denBoer led academic affairs, enrollment management, and student affairs. He oversaw ten colleges that ranged from large multidisciplinary units in the liberal arts and social sciences, science and health, business, and computing and digital media to small conservatories in music and theatre.

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Wytheville Community College wins accredition for dual enrollment programs

Wytheville Community College recently received accreditation through the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships for its dual enrollment programs — also called concurrent programs — offered in partnership with area public schools. WCC is the second community college in the Virginia Community College System and one of only 134 colleges in the nation to earn this recognition, according to a release from the school.

To earn accreditation, dual enrollment programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s 16 standards, and undergo a peer-review process conducted by a team of representatives from NACEP accredited programs as well as the NACEP Accreditation Commission. The accreditation is valid for five years for initial accreditation and then seven years for reaccreditation, during which time programs commit to uphold NACEP’s standards and report annually on program practices.

Currently, seven school systems participate in WCC’s dual enrollment program including Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth (Marion Senior High), and Wythe Counties, Galax City schools, and Oak Hill Academy. 

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Averett among educator preparation programs to win national recognition

 The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced recently that Averett University’s Department of Education is one of 35 providers from 22 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico from its spring 2022 review to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs.

Averett’s education department offers a traditional baccalaureate education program with preparation for initial licensure in nine areas. In addition, 13 graduate-level master’s and endorsement programs are offered through Averett Online. Averett’s teacher education program consistently places 100 percent of its graduates in teaching positions, according to Averett.

Prior to CAEP accreditation, Averett’s Education programs were accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. VDOE continues to approve licensure and endorsement programs across the Commonwealth. However, VDOE has deferred the accreditation responsibilities, and, based on Virginia’s 2016 signed partnership agreement, CAEP is now the unified national accrediting organization for educator preparation. 

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