VCCS Chancellor Receives Distinguished Career Award From ODU
June 07, 2017
Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia's community college system, received a Distinguished Career Award from Old Dominion University on June 7, during the University's 15th anniversary celebration of its Community College Leadership doctoral program.
Thanking University faculty and graduate students, as well as presidents of six Virginia community colleges who attended the event, DuBois said Old Dominion has been a great partner for Virginia's community colleges since he was installed as chancellor in 2001.
"ODU is one of my favorite places to visit among Virginia universities," DuBois said at a luncheon in the new Education Building. "Leadership counts. Since (Old Dominion) President (John R.) Broderick took over, our partnership has soared."
DuBois is the second-longest-serving chancellor of Virginia's system of 23 community colleges and 40 campuses, which serve more than 250,000 students each year.
President Broderick presented the Distinguished Career Award to DuBois, noting that the chancellor himself is the product of a community college education.
"Today we are here to honor a man not only for his outstanding leadership of Virginia's community colleges, but for the urgency and clarity he has brought to the mission. He knows that business as usual rarely achieves greatness," President Broderick said.
Blake Steiner, a 2017 biological sciences graduate who completed an associate degree at Tidewater Community College before coming to Old Dominion, thanked DuBois for his contribution to Virginia's community colleges.
"An outstanding quality of Dr. DuBois is his compassion. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for Virginia's community colleges, and their students," Steiner said.
Charles Wilson, special adviser to the provost, offered introductory remarks for the event, noting the stellar track record of the Darden College of Education's Community College Leadership doctoral program, "one of only a few such programs in the entire country."
Wilson said community college leaders from across the United States have earned their doctorates at Old Dominion, then moved on to leadership roles at their institutions.
Patricia Huber, a graduate of the Ph.D. program, was recently named president of New River Community College in Dublin, Virginia. She is the fourth graduate of the innovative program to become the leader of a community college. The others are Natalie Harder, chancellor of South Louisiana Community College; Hara Charlier, president of Central Lakes College in Minnesota, and Al Roberts, president of Southside Virginia Community College.
During DuBois' tenure, Virginia's community colleges have signed groundbreaking guaranteed transfer agreements with more than 30 public and private universities, including Old Dominion; become Virginia's leading provider of workforce development services; diversified funding sources, re-launching a statewide foundation and doubling foundation-led private fundraising, and maintained a tuition rate that is roughly one-third the rate at Virginia's four-year universities.