TROY News Center

TROY – Dr. John R. Dew will provide the keynote address at Troy University’s commencement exercises Sunday, May 19 on Saint Simons Island.

About 50 students from Brunswick and Savannah sites will participate in the event, which begins at 3 p.m. at Strickland Auditorium, Epworth By-the-Sea.

Dr. Dew serves as Senior Vice Chancellor of Student Services and Administration at the University, after having served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness from 2007 until 2010.

Prior to joining the University, he was Director for Continuous Quality Improvement and Planning at the University of Alabama. From 1974 until 1998, he worked for Lockheed Martin Corp. as a quality and strategic planning professional in Oak Ridge, Tenn. and Paducah, Kent., including work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

He earned his Doctorate in Education from the University of Tennessee and is the author of five books, including co-authoring Continuous Quality Improvement in Higher Education with Molly McGowan Nearing, published by the American Council on Education and Praeger Press in 2004. His scholarly publications include Managing in a Team Environment and Empowerment and Democracy in the Workplace, both published by Greenwood Press. In 1997 he published a trade book on strategic planning with Quality Resources Press, Quality-Centered Strategic Planning. In 2001 he co-authored Diagnosing and Preventing Adverse and Sentinel Events, a handbook on preventing and investigating medical errors, with Meri Curtis, published by Opus Press.

Dr. Dew was appointed by the Undersecretary of Education to serve on the Department of Education’s Rulemaking Process in 2006. He was a founding member and chair of the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education, and has served as the Chair of the Education Division and the Energy and Environmental Division of the American Society for Quality. Dr. Dew is a Fellow in the American Society for Quality and held an appointment from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve as one of the twelve Judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program for 2008-2011. In 2009 Dr. Dew was elected to membership in the International Academy for Quality, which is the international body of academics engaged in research and publication related to quality sciences.  In 2011 Dr. Dew was named to the Board of Directors of the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education (NCCI). 

Dr. John Dew

ALBANY – Troy University has named Albany resident Keith Gaines its Albany Area Coordinator.

Gaines, who previously served as the assistant director of TROY’s Albany operations, had served as executive director of The Anchorage, Inc. since Oct. 2011. Under his leadership, the Albany site will serve southwestern Georgia.

“I am excited to, once again, work for my alma mater. I look forward to continuing to grow the strong relationship between Troy University and the Albany area,” said Gaines, who holds a Master of Science degree in counseling and psychology from the University. “The Albany and Southwest Georgia area is home to a large number of Troy University alumni and I look forward to adding even more in the years to come.”

Gaines has lived in the Albany area since 1991, and previously worked for Albany’s First Baptist Church and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. He currently serves as part-time pastor of Edison Baptist Church.

“We are very pleased to have Mr. Gaines at the helm of our Albany area location. As a long-time resident of Albany, an alumnus and a former employee, he is a perfect fit to grow and lead our Albany location well into the future,” said Bill Glisson, TROY’s Atlanta district director.

TROY’s Albany Site is located at 321 William Jr. Street, in the building formerly occupied by Owens Sporting Goods. It is one of 23 locations in seven states outside Alabama. In addition to its four Alabama campuses, TROY also operates in six locations in southeast Asia and the Middle East, and serves students online through its eTROY campus.

“I encourage adults in the area who are either considering going back to school to finish a degree they started years ago, continuing their education beyond a two or four-year degree, or contemplating  going to college for the very first time to checkout TROY,” Gaines said. “TROY is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. We are able to offer some classes here at the Albany site in addition to the convenient option of our on-line classes.”

For more information about Troy University or to enroll in classes, visit www.troy.edu, call the Albany Site at 229-639-0303 or toll-free at 866-288-2097.

Keith Gaines

TROY – In an effort to make college more affordable and to encourage students to complete their academic programs quickly, Troy University is making 500 new scholarships available to new students.

Under the program, qualified students – 400 seeking bachelor’s degrees and 100 seeking graduate degrees – will receive a refund of the application fee and credits for tuition valued at approximately $3,000.

“The University is trying to help students stretch their money to make a college degree more affordable,” said Dr. Lance Tatum, Vice Chancellor of Global Campus. “The scholarship will help our adult students to stay on track with their programs once they’ve begun.”

To be eligible, all students must enroll at either a Global Campus site, Dothan, Montgomery, Phenix City campus or online through eTROY between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31, 2013 and not receive any other University-funded scholarship during their time of attendance.

Incoming students may apply for scholarship online at www.troy.edu. Priority for awards will be based on the date application packages are completed and will be announced in August 2013. Recipients will be issued certificates indicating their awards and application fee refunds.

Additionally, for those seeking a bachelor’s degree, students must be unconditionally admitted and have a 2.5 high school grade point average, or, for transfer students, a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a GED score of at least 550. Bachelor’s degree students must successfully complete 18 semester credits per year, and complete their degree program no longer than five years from start. They must complete a minimum of 48 hours at TROY.

Those seeking graduate degrees must be unconditionally admitted to a graduate degree program, successfully complete 15 semester credits per year and complete their degree in two years.

Tuition for the final nine hours of the bachelor’s degree, or the final six hours of the graduate degree, will be covered by the University upon verification of eligibility by providing an official academic evaluation to the scholarship coordinator. This process must be completed prior to registration for the final credit hours.

Students seeking associate degrees or certificates are not eligible.

“This is a way to reward successful adult students who work hard and stay on track to complete their degree programs, as well as an opportunity to fill a void for financial assistance to those students who otherwise have no scholarship opportunities,” said Dr. Earl Ingram, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

“We want to reward hard work and dedication to degree completion,” he said.

For more information regarding applying to TROY, contact the Office of Admissions at 800-414-5756, or visit online at www.troy.edu.

Access the form at:  https://forms.troy.edu/forms/scholarship/admissions/horizonscholarship.html.

ATLANTA – Troy University will open its doors to Atlanta-area students and prospective students for a free seminar on the importance of accreditation in higher education.

Led by Dr. Hal Fulmer, the University’s dean of undergraduate and first-year studies and associate provost, the seminar begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 2 in Sandy Springs at 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite N101. Seating is limited and registration is recommended online at http://trojan.troy.edu/globalcampus/sites/atlanta/. The event will be streamed online for those who are interested but are unable to attend. Registration for the online event is also available at the same address.

“Given the current economic climate and job market, many are turning to higher education as a way to improve their own marketability,” said Bill Glisson, district director for TROY’s Atlanta District. “With the recent influx of collegiate options in Atlanta, many are unaware of the various accrediting bodies, what they mean, and how it affects the education they may receive at a given school. More importantly, many are unaware of the outcomes they may face if they pursue an education at a school that does not hold accreditation by a recognized accrediting body.”

Dr. Fulmer has extensive experience in the area of accreditation, having served as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) leadership team for the University’s successful reaffirmation of accreditation in 2007 – 2010, and a member of the University’s SACS steering committee 2002-2003.

“Understanding accreditation in higher education is an important part of earning a college degree.  What accreditation means, how it happens and why it is so significant are questions that any prospective college student—and college graduate—needs to understand.  Accreditation is all about the integrity and value of a student’s higher education,” Dr. Fulmer said.

Troy University will host a Global Open House and Career Chat on Tuesday, April 16 to assist prospective students in the areas of academic strategy for career development, financial assistance and admissions and credit transfers.

Events will be held at the University’s four Alabama campuses and 22 of its Global Campus locations, as well as online. Those wishing to participate can register by location online at http://www.troy.edu/openhouse. Registration deadline for the events is April 12. Times vary by location.

Application fees will be waived for those who apply for admission to TROY during a Global Open House event at a location or online on April 16.

The University will host two virtual open house sessions that day – one at noon and the other at 8 p.m., according to Buddy Starling, Dean of Enrollment Management.

“Participants in the virtual open house will get an overview of Troy University and our Call Center will conduct live chats with those who have questions or seek specific information,” Starling said.

Starling said the Global Open House concept fits well with the University’s geographic structure.

“Troy University is uniquely positioned through our geographic structure for substantial outreach,” Starling said. “It made sense to have these events on the same day to share information about the opportunities available through TROY while maintaining some local uniqueness for each site.”

In addition to open house events on TROY campuses in Troy, Dothan, Montgomery and Phenix City, events also will be held at eight locations in Florida, seven locations in Georgia, one each in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and two each in Texas and Virginia.

Locations by state are:

Florida

Eglin Air Force Base

Fort Walton Beach

Hurlburt Field

Orlando

Panama City

Pensacola

Tampa Bay

Tyndall Air Force Base

Georgia

Albany

Atlanta

Augusta/Ft. Gordon

Brunswick

Columbus/Ft. Benning

Covington

Savannah

North Carolina

Fayetteville

South Carolina

Sumter

Tennessee

Clarksville

Texas

El Paso

San Antonio

Virginia

Arlington

Hampton Roads