Review Candidates and their Histories

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Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

Dean, Social Science Division
Bethune-Cookman College
Daytona Beach, Florida

Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs
Richmond School of Health and Technology
Richmond, Virginia

Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs, Board of Regents
University System of Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia

John T. Wolfe, Jr., Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs, Board of Regents
University System of Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. John T. Wolfe, Jr. is Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs at the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia which includes nineteen universities and fifteen two-year colleges. Prior to joining the Board of Regents, Dr. Wolfe served as President of Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. Wolfe’s responsibilities at the Board of Regents include the administration of the University System’s Faculty Information System, reviewing new academic program proposals, advising and interpreting Board of Regents’ policies on faculty and academic programs, serving as liaison officer to academic advisory and administrative committees and to the Office of Economic Development Services, serving on the University System’s Campus Master Plan Cross Team and the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program Committee.

During a career in higher education that spans more than three decades, Dr. Wolfe has served as President of Kentucky State University and as Executive Director of the National Rainbow Coalition in Washington, DC. He has also held faculty and administrative appointments at Cuttington College, Liberia West Africa, Purdue University in Indiana, Fayetteville State University in North Carolina and Bowie State University in Maryland.

Dr. Wolfe earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Chicago State University, a master’s degree in English Education, and a Ph.D. in linguistics from Purdue University.

His administrative experiences have been in the areas of academic affairs, student affairs, employee relations, athletics, with a special focus on the relationship of strategic planning, budgeting and resource allocation; academic program development, application of technology in institutional operation, and outcomes assessment and accountability.

His many professional activities have included service as the Georgia State Representative to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Chair of the Kentucky Delegation to the White Conference on Libraries and Information Services, former president of the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English, and as a member of several education and economic development teams to Africa and the United Kingdom. He has been an active member of the American Council on Education (ACE) having served on the Commission on Leadership Development, on interview panels for the Fellows Program, and as a mentor in 1995 and 1996. He was an American Council on Education Fellow in Academic Administration and was an invited participant in a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar at the University of Texas at Austin on the study of American English Dialects.

He actively consults in areas related to higher education, economic development, academic administration and employee development and training.

Dr. Wolfe has published in the areas of linguistics and higher education.

He believes: The exponential growth and expansion in the use of information and telecommunications technology, nano-science and biotechnology are changing the way we live and interact with one another. In a world that is increasingly dependent on the rapid transfer of knowledge, information and data, we must not lose sight of three inter-related concepts. First is the need for people to acquire the education, knowledge and competencies necessary to function effectively and successfully in such a world. Coupled with this is the need for individuals, communities and institutions to develop and foster an understanding of the importance of establishing and building solid interpersonal, intra-cultural and intercultural relationships. Finally, those of us who are engaged in education, directly or peripherally, must do more to forge a better integration of the form, content, substance, and process of education with home, school and the workplace.

Sadie R. Gregory, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs
Richmond School of Health and Technology
Richmond, Virginia

Over the past twenty-eight years, Dr. Sadie R. Gregory has been employed in a variety of academic and non-academic positions of increasingly higher levels of responsibility. She currently serves as the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Richmond School of Health and Technology. In this position, Dr. Gregory serves as the Chief Academic Officer for the School. She has oversight management responsibility for academic program development and review. She provides direct supervision for the directors and division heads. Dr. Gregory is responsible for academic planning, assessment, curriculum development/review, student-support programs and specialized accreditation activities.

Prior to assuming the duties of the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gregory held a number of academic positions in higher education. She entered the academic field in 1975 as an Assistant Professor of Economics for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. In 1979, she rejoined her alma mater, Virginia State University, in the capacity of Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics. She also served as the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in the School of Business. Dr. Gregory later provided leadership for the School of Business and the broader University by serving as Dean of the Business School. In this capacity, she worked closely with the Board, administration, faculty, students and business leaders.

Dr. Gregory has held a number of non-academic positions of leadership. She served as the Director of Business Research and Chief Economist for the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from 1988–1990. In this position she initiated the Agency’s Strategic Planning efforts. She later served as the Chief Economist and Senior Researcher for the Bureau of Insurance of the State Corporation Commission where she conducted research and provided expert testimony at rate hearings.

As an author and lecturer, Dr. Gregory has published numerous articles in scholarly journals on national issues pertaining to her specialized areas of banking, finance and the economics of discrimination. Her scholarly research has also been presented at national and regional conferences of the major professional associations in the fields of economics, business, banking and finance.

Dr. Gregory has held a number of Board and Committee memberships. Among these are: Chair of the Board of the Virginia State University Federal Credit Union, Member of the Treasury Board for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Member of the Investment Advisory Committee for the Board of the Virginia Retirement System, Board Member of the Richmond Community Hospital Foundation, Member of the Interdepartmental Board of the Virginia Department of Minority Businesses, Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Virginia Business, Member of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Black Political Economy, and Institutional Representative for the Virginia Identification Program for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education Administration.

Dr. Gregory earned the Ph.D. degree in Economics from Howard University in 1988. In 1977, she received the M.A. degree in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University; and in 1974, she graduated magna cum laude from Virginia State University with a B.S. degree in Economics.

Nuria M. Cuevas, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

Biography

Currently Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norfolk State University, Dr. Nuria M. Cuevas has more than twenty-five years of increasingly responsible experience in higher education. The range of experience includes academic affairs and student affairs responsibilities in small and large, comprehensive and research, and professional education institutions. Her role has expanded to include institutional effectiveness, curriculum management, program review, accreditation, and strategic planning. These experiences have prepared her well for the position of Provost and Vice President. She has demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively and effectively with faculty, students, administration, and external constituents. Dr. Cuevas serves as a reviewer for a number of accreditation associations and is an active member of numerous professional associations. Scholarship is embedded in all endeavors as evidenced by the many publications, presentations, and invited presentations focusing on institutional effectiveness, assessment, and accountability issues in higher education. Dr. Cuevas has earned a B.A. in music from Southwestern Union College in Keene, Texas, an M.S. in foundations of education with a concentration in research methods and statistics from the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University) in Memphis, Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in evaluation and measurement from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

Educational Philosophy

As an educator, my objective is to guide a student’s line of inquiry in the learning process. Given this student-centered or person-oriented approach, it is important to understand how a student learns in order to guide the development of his or her intellect, interests, curiosity and ambitions. As an administrator, my objective is to guide the interactive process by which a learning community comes to understand the nature of challenges faced and how to go about addressing them. Each person understands and processes the challenges within their own context. It is from this context that challenges are discussed and addressed. Individuals tend to own the process and understand their respective role in addressing the challenge. Division of labor becomes more manageable, accountability is higher, and micromanagement is almost nonexistent when individuals understand their part in accomplishing the goal. The key to success is ensuring individuals understand the goal, understand their role in achieving the goal, and understand being empowered to act on the tasks.

Sample of Accomplishments

• Invited to speak at the AAC&U General Education Conference, Long Beach, California, March 2004 and the ACE Pacific Command Education Symposium, Japan, April 2004
• Established institutional effectiveness and assessment units at a broad range of institutions
• Approach work with a philosophy of scholarship and learning
• Collaborate with and promote faculty and staff in presenting and publishing scholarly work
• Developed and implemented a comprehensive academic program review process for the development of academic programs
• Reviewed and reorganized the Office of the Registrar
• Worked across administrative units to review and reorganize academic retention services and implemented an Office of First Year Experience serving as the foundation for the undergraduate curriculum
• Worked with faculty across academic units to develop strategies to assess core competencies, including developing and implementing a graduating exit examination
• Worked across administrative units and with deans to develop a comprehensive academic advising policy and manual
• Reviewed and revised university policies related to academic matters, proposed new policies as needed
• Conducted studies to revise institutional peer group and, with the executive leadership and the Rector of the Board of Visitors, negotiated peer group with state agency
• Developed an American Democracy Project as part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) initiative and attended the Summer 2003 AASCU Conference for academic leaders
• Serve as an accreditation reviewer focusing on assessment and educational quality for regional and professional accreditation agencies; serve on task forces to restructure the accreditation process
• Manage complex budgets with a more than 20 cost centers

Qualities

• Seasoned administrator; teaching experience at a broad range of institutions; record of scholarly activities
• Familiar with requirements and demands of the position
• Experience working with challenges facing the institution and taking leadership in responding to the challenges
• Experience working across and within divisions and disciplinary areas
• Experience working with internal and external constituents
• History of working well at and across all levels of the institution, state, region (Board of Visitors, Executive Management, Mid-Level Management, Deans, Department Heads, Faculty, Students, Physical Plant, etc.)
• Experience working collaboratively to build infrastructures within the institution to support new and existing initiatives
• Experience managing large, complex budgets
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Sheila Y. Flemming, Ph.D.
Dean, Social Science Division
Bethune-Cookman College
Daytona Beach, Florida

Sheila Y. Flemming, Ph.D. is Professor of History and Dean of the Social Sciences Division at Bethune-Cookman College (B-CC). A graduate of B-CC, Atlanta University and Howard University, she is author of Bethune-Cookman College 1904-1994: The Answered Prayer To A Dream. Dr. Flemming has written several articles in published works on B-CC and Mrs. Bethune including an article in the volume, Civil Rights in The United States. Her current research project involves women’s role in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

She was recently American Council on Education Fellow at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and has served as scholar/historian/lecturer for several historical, women and children’s conferences. She is an experienced academic leader having been Director of the Honors Program, Faculty Association President, Chair of the Faculty Lyceum Committee, Promotions and Tenure Committee and Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Flemming has experience in fundraising and she has a proven track record in funded grants with both government and private entities. She is a Fulbright Scholar having received awards and fellowships from Bush-Hewellet, NAFEO, and Salzburg Seminar. Her students consider her a consummate teacher. Service to her community and profession includes: Vice Chair of the Central Florida Revitalization Front Porch Board of Directors; Vice Chair of the Black Community Leadership Council of Daytona Beach; Treasurer of the local Healthy Start Coalition; Vice Chair of the National Park Service Advisory Commission for the Mary McLeod Bethune National Council House Historic Site, Washington, DC; and National President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. She is a children’s advocate with local, state and national service to organizations. Dr. Flemming is a global citizen having traveled to every continent in the world except Australia.