M. Marie Foster Gnage, Ph.D. EDUCATION Ph.D. M.A. B.S. December 1981, The Florida State University, Tallahassee Major: English (American Literature) July 1974, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette Major: English August 1972, Alcorn A&M College, Lorman, Mississippi Major: English PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Presidents Summer Institutes, American Association of Community Colleges (2006, 2007, 2008) Harvard Institute for New Presidents, 2005 American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) New Presidents Academy, 2004 Executive Leadership Institute, League for Innovation, 1995 Leadership Forum, American Council on Education, 1993 American Council on Education Fellows Program, 1990-1991 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE President West Virginia University at Parkersburg July 2008 - President Campus President/Regional Vice President for West Virginia University Regional Campus Vice President July 2004 2008 Provide leadership for the WVU Parkersburg, a former regional campus of West Virginia University, and a two-year community college that offers selected baccalaureate degrees. Provide leadership in strategic planning and visioning (Strategic Plans 2005-2010; 2010-2015). Provide leadership for the development and implementation of the college s Strategic Plan, Safety Plan and Comprehensive Master Plan. The college received a Campus Technology citation for safety on a rural college campus.
Ensure the fiscal well-being of the institution. (The college continues to have a substantial reserve fund.) Advocate for the college locally, in the state, regionally, and nationally. (A congressional earmark of $1.25 million was slated for the college in 2010; a state appropriation increase of $.5 million is expected in 2011.) Provide leadership for responding to the state s needs for a prepared workforce. (The college experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment of dislocated workers in 2010-2011. Certificate, degree associate and baccalaureate programs continue to be developed to meet the needs of the community and state.) Work with the college s foundation on fund development. (Responsible for donation of a building and funds for renovation, professional development funds for faculty, landscaping, scholarships, etc.) Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Raritan Valley Community College, North Branch, New Jersey March 2001 June 30, 2004 In the capacity of chief academic officer, assumed leadership of the College in the absence of the President. Provided academic vision and leadership in the development of sound academic policy and responsible for the operation of all academic and student services programs. Developed a learning-centered environment that promoted academic innovation and student success through faculty excellence. Engendered enthusiasm among faculty for involvement in alternative teaching methods and techniques. Coordinated strategic and operational planning for all academic programs and services. Directed the College s academic programs, including the development of curricula, and the implementation, coordination, and assessment of all academic programs. Provided the leadership for the operations of two off-campus sites. Provided direction and leadership to ensure the effectiveness of the service learning program and to encourage further expansion of service learning opportunities for students in community and governmental agencies. Developed and recommended an annual budget request to support academic goals and objectives. Allocated and monitored spending of academic budgets. 2
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Educational Services Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona July 1998 March 2001 Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Educational Services Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona August 1997 June 1998 Responsible for policy oversight, coordination, leadership, management, and supervision of programs for the support of instructional programs and student services. Drafted and recommended college policies. Provided leadership in college initiatives such as alignment and placement of occupational programs on the College s five campuses, and the Student Success System. Served as chair of the College Curriculum Council and the Educational Standards Committee; revised general education and the process for approval of general education curriculum. Responsible for approval of workforce response curriculum and general education curriculum. Encouraged innovation in development of workforce curricula and programs. Worked cooperatively with Deans of Instruction and the Deans of Student Development for the five campuses. Responsible for such district-wide functions as workforce development, occupational program development, curriculum development, articulation, concurrent enrollment, student academic assessment, educational standards, and tribal relations. Served as liaison to selected community organizations. Consultant 1996-1997 Consulted on the development of educational policy, instructional programs, training and professional development for personnel. Edited reports, manuscripts for publication, and other materials. Vice President for Instruction Central Florida Community College, Ocala, Florida 1994-1996 Administrative responsibility for all instructional programs (A.S. and A.A. degree, certificate, and continuing education). 3
Supervised deans and division deans of instructional programs, and the Library/Learning Resources Center director. Chaired the curriculum committee. Recommended hiring of faculty, staff, and administrators for instructional areas. Coordinated strategic/tactical planning for instructional areas. Managed and authorized budgets for all instructional programs. Served as steering committee member on the Central Florida Consortium, sharing responsibility for grants in distance learning, mathematics and science, etc. to further articulation between the community college and universities. Supervised Tech Prep and School to Work directors. Directed distance education efforts. Participated in the development of a Workforce Development system. Dean of Academic Affairs Broward Community College, North Campus, Coconut Creek, Florida 1991-1994 Supervised department heads of all academic programs and the director of the Library/Learning Resources Center. With academic leaders, developed strategic plans for academic (A.S. and A.A. degree) programs. Ensured implementation of the College s philosophy and policies, the faculty contract, and accreditation requirements, and ensured the achievement of College/Campus academic program objectives. Coordinated articulation of all academic programs with the other two campuses and one center, the state universities (transfer), and the high schools (dual enrollment and college prep). Served on the Tech Prep Council for the county. Developed with department heads the budget and schedule of offerings for all academic programs. 4
Prepared required reports; worked with advisory councils/committees for technical programs, community organizations and agency officials to ensure a curriculum designed to meet student, community, industry, professional and business needs. Department Head of English/ESL Broward Community College, Coconut Creek, Florida 1988-1991* Administrative responsibility for the Department. Managed the budget; ensured writing lab instructional support and supervised lab personnel; developed class schedule. Managed dual enrollment and other articulation projects and programs; hired, supervised, and evaluated full-time and part-time faculty and staff. ACE Fellow American Council on Education Fellows Program, Washington, DC Host Institution: Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Carolina 1990-1991 Viewed perspectives of higher education and learned the elements and principles of and the skills needed for senior level administration/leadership via shadowing executive officers and staff, attendance and participation in executive meetings and College planning sessions, working with task forces, visiting other colleges and universities, and attending ACE seminars and higher education conferences. Assistant Professor of English Florida A&M University, Tallahassee 1984-1988 Taught freshman English and literature; served on committees; and advised freshman majors. Served as the Director of Freshman English, developing curriculum, syllabi, and test items and coordinating all freshman English related activities holistic grading sessions, exit essay exam administration, lab referrals. Consumer Services Consultant Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, Florida 1982-1984 Coordinated the Florida Consumers Council (provided technical assistance to the Council). Directed The Senior Consumer Information Service. 5
Edited and published The Senior Consumer newspaper. Coordinated U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission projects that were co-sponsored by the Division of Consumer Services. Coordinated State Coalition for Consumer Education. Coordinated consumer education for the Division of Consumer Services, and provided consumer education via speeches/lectures, a newspaper, articles in newsletters, pamphlets, and workshops. Tracked legislation for Division personnel and the Florida Consumers Council. Served as a commissioned officer, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Project Director/Editor Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, Florida 1980-1982 Administered the Senior Consumer Information Service. Edited and published The Senior Consumer newspaper. Received and processed complaints from older consumers and answered requests for information (Consumer Complaint Analyst). Graduate Teaching Assistant The Florida State University, Department of English, Tallahassee 1978-1980 Taught freshman English composition and literature. Assistant in Research The Florida State University, The Career Education Center, Tallahassee 1976-1978 Wrote and edited visual and printed vocational education materials (manuals, slides, questionnaires, journal articles, surveys). Instructor of English Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi 1974-1976 Taught composition, literature, effective communication, and senior colloquium. Developed teaching materials for use in the classroom and in the Skills Lab. 6
Graduate Teaching Assistant The University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette 1972-1974 Taught freshman composition and tutored. PUBLICATIONS Hiring for Student Success, New Directions, Jossey Bass, December 2010. Reconfiguring Self: A Matter of Place in Selected Novels by Paule Marshall, in Middle Passages and the Healing Place of History, Ohio State University Press, 2006. Voice, Mind, Self: Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan s Fiction, in Women of Color, UP Press (Fall 1996). Book Review: Portrait by Naomi Madgett Long, SAGE, 1990. A Bibliography of Southern Black Creative Writers, 1829 1953, Greenwood Press, Inc., 1988. Ernest Gaines Louisiana Blues, MAWA Journal, June 1988. Humor as a Vehicle for Palatability, FAMU Research Bulletin, 1987. Articles in The Senior Consumer, a newspaper, and Dollars and Sense, a newsletter, Both published by the Florida Division of Consumer Services, 1980-1984. PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS (Most Recent) Leadership for Student Success, West Virginia Community College Association Conference, 2010. Hiring for Student Success, AACC Conference, 2009. Safety on a Rural Community College Campus, League for Innovation CIT, October 2008; West Virginia Community College Association Conference, November 2008. Women and Leadership, West Virginia Community College Association Conference, November 2008. Crisis Management, ACCT Annual Congress, November 2008. Presentations to Presidents Academy Summer Institute, July 2008, July 2009. 7
RECOGNITION Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction (Phi Theta Kappa), 2008 Women of Excellence Award for Trailblazing (Altrusa International, Inc.), 2006. Empowerment Inspiration Award awarded at the 3 rd Annual Awards Ceremony of the West Virginia Minority Business Development Center, September 2005. ACE Fellows Program 2005-2006 selected to participate as ACE Fellows Faculty during August, 2005, 2008 Seminars. The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents - nominated and accepted to participate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, July 2005. AACC Future Leaders Institute Faculty selected as presenter at the Future Leaders Institute for the American Association of Community Colleges, July 2005, January 2009.. 52 nd Annual National Security Forum of the Air War College selected to participate at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama., May 2005. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT St. Joseph s Hospital Board of Trustees The Parkersburg Art Center Board of Trustees Workforce Investment Board (Region 4) Parkersburg Rotary (Board Member) United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley (Board Secretary) Economic Roundtable of the Mid-Ohio Valley (Vice Chair, Programs) Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute Advisory Council Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Education Committee member STATE INVOLVEMENT Black Diamond Girl Scouts Council Board West Virginia Humanities Council Board NATIONAL INVOLVEMENT American Association of Community Colleges Presidents Academy Executive Council (Past member) American Council on Education Presidential Sponsor for State Network in West Virginia American Council on Education Network Executive Board Member (Board Chair) American Association of Community College Board of Directors (Executive Committee member) 8