Vita

CURRICULUM VITAE 

Significant Accomplishments

Advising: Developed mandatory group advising program in 1980s; organized on-site community college transfer program at which we advised and registered incoming students; have been FYE advisor since it was first developed

Retention: Coordinated Towson University’s retention committee, tracked specific populations, analyzed strategies for success

Organization: Developed and supervised Enrollment Communications Department, which included a call center for Admissions, Financial Aid and Registrar (Admissions part still operating), wrote and sent routine letters for those departments, developed and sent welcoming letters to admitted students from academic department chairs (to increase yield); developed and supervised two-day orientation program; developed and managed Mid-semester Evaluations of New Students (MENS)

Management: Used focus groups of employees to develop teams of employees working on improving customer service in Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s office; supervised staff of approximately 15 (some student, some clerical, some professional) to communicate with our students, parents and the public; supervised approximately 10 staff members of Orientation Department (professional, clerical and student) to run two orientation programs a year

Creativity: Developed freshman mail-in registration program, MENS, The Case of the Perished Prankster (TU Orientation murder mystery—being adapted by Honors College), two-day orientation; TRIAD II (mandatory freshman group advising); developed booklet of faculty advice to students; developed first September Calendar to send to incoming freshmen; developed booklet on faculty’s own summer reading (with their book reviews)

Diversity: Taught upper-level HISTORY course on the Civil Rights Movement; organized symposium on Civil Rights in Maryland featuring many who had led the fight; co-organized and chaired first task force on gay and lesbian issues. Taught Education course that prepares students—future teachers and other students—to live in the diverse society we occupy.

Professional Experience

1978 – Present            Towson University; Towson, Maryland  21252

2013 – Present            Manager, Transfer Advising Program

Manage and maintain advising program to assist incoming transferring students to learn their new majors, participate in academic advising, and enroll in their courses.

2006 – 2013                Academic Advisor, Coordinator of National Student Exchange

After Retention was removed as a separate responsibility, developed programs to assist student veterans. Continue to advise students and to work creatively within Academic Advising Center. Coordinate National Student Exchange.

2007 – 2013                Towson University Curriculum Committee

Represent Academic Advising on University committee; served as secretary after 2009.

2008 – Present            Veterans Concerns Committee

Serve on committee to coordinate services to student veterans and to advocate for their needs. Results from this committee include a full-time staff person, a Vet Center in the center of campus, and a heightened awareness of the needs of this population.

1997 – 2006                Director of University Retention, Academic Advisor; Coordinator of National Student Exchange

Coordinated University’s retention program; developed program to register incoming freshmen by mail; piloted on-site (at community college) registration for community college transfer students; developed new General Education Using Information Effectively course to help students adjust to college life; developed General Education Course catalog to assist incoming freshmen in choosing their courses; developed early warning program  to inform new students of academic vulnerability.

Advised over 100 students; coordinated National Student Exchange; worked with student veterans to assist in their adjustment to college; advised student veterans group; advised Progressive Democrats of Towson;

2007 – 2008                Member of Gubernatorial Task Force on State Assistance to Veterans

Appointed by Governor O’Malley to serve on group that evaluates State services to veterans (and also looks at the interaction with Federal agencies) and makes recommendations to the General Assembly.

2007                            Appointed to Higher Education Transition Team for Governor O’Malley

Served with presidents of colleges and universities as well as civic leaders on task force chaired by President Freeman Hrabowski of UMBC.Participated in discussions to develop plan of action and priorities for new governor.

2005 – 2006                Democratic Candidate for House of Delegates, District 42

Ran successfully in primary election; won at the polls in the General Election but lost when absentee ballots were counted; received over 19,000 votes.

2007 – Present            Baltimore County Work Group on Returning Veterans

Represent Towson University on the group, which coordinates services to veterans in Baltimore County; chair sub-committee on Higher Education.

1992 – 1997                Director of Enrollment Communications

Served on Enrollment Management executive staff (assisted Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management develop strategy for recruitment, enrollment and registration, and financial aid leveraging). Worked with departments in Enrollment Services (Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Enrollment Operations) : prepared form letters for all departments, developed additional recruitment mailings..

Edited University Undergraduate Catalog and Portfolio (viewbook); developed and managed pre-college programs for the University.  Created and supervised telephone information center. Supervised Scholarship Office and Student Ambassador program; coordinated National Student Exchange program.  Recruited at college fairs to help Admissions Office.

1989 – 1992                 Director of New Student Relations

Served on Student Services Executive Committee. Developed and managed programs to ease transition for new students (booklet on “Tips for Success,” calendar of campus events for September mailed to homes in August, Murder Mystery Orientation program; Summer Readings booklet).  Supervised Orientation Department, which ran TRIAD (the one-day Orientation, Advising and Registration program) in July, August, and January, as well as two extra programs (the Murder Mystery and Project Marj, an Outward Bound-like experience).  Developed and supervised a two-day overnight orientation program.

1982 – 1989                 Assistant Vice President for Student Services

Worked with the Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students to initiate programs like mandatory freshman advising and an ethics forum.  Managed student problems and ensured that students knew where to turn for help.

1978 – 1982                 Assistant to the President

Organized and planned functions for the President; drafted speeches and radio talks; served as liaison with internal and external communities (faculty, staff, boards); managed student problems; performed studies on production and consumption of student use in departments; performed studies on faculty retention and attrition; managed office staff.

Additional Experience

2010 (Spring)              Towson University Leadership Institute

Participated in this Institute, which developed a plan for staff community service while building inter-department relationships

1979 – Present             Adjunct Faculty Member, Towson University

            Writing for Business and Industry, an upper-level English course, English 102 (freshman English), Introduction to American Studies: America in the Sixties for the American Studies department, A History of the Civil Rights Movement and an upper-level special topics course on the 60’s for the History department. Have developed and teach online and hybrid versions of the American Studies course.

2003 – 2004                Secretary, Baltimore County League of Women Voters

2004 – 2005                2nd Vice President, Baltimore County League of Women Voters

2007 – 2009                Director, Baltimore County League of Women Voters

2009 – 2011                1st Vice President, Baltimore County League of Women Voters

2009 – 2010                Member-at-Large, Maryland State League of Women Voters Board

2010 –  2015                Co-President, Baltimore County League of Women Voters

2008 – 2010                President, Central Baltimore County Democratic Club

Elected president of one of Maryland’s strongest political clubs; mobilized club to aid a local shelter; assisted Baltimore County Central Committee in staffing new office and recruiting volunteers in presidential campaign.

2004 – 2007                 Coordinator, Baltimore Writers’ Conference

Coordinate committee of people from Towson University’s graduate program in professional writing, Johns Hopkins University’s graduate program in writing and the CityLit Project to plan and manage the conference. The featured speakers have included Stephen Hunter, novelist and Washington Post critic, and Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

May 1999                    Colloquium on the Civil Rights Movement in Baltimore

Solicited activists from Baltimore’s Civil Rights Movement to participate on panel:  Rev. Marion Bascom; Chief Judge Robert Bell; Mr. Edward Chance, Rev. Vernon Dobson; Mr. Clarence Logan;  Dr. Kieffer Mitchell; Marc Steiner (moderator); Rev. Chester Wickwire.  Over 150 members of academic and local community attended, including students from high schools and other colleges.

1998 – 2003                 Co-Coordinator, Baltimore Writers’ Alliance Annual Conference

Brought annual conference to Towson University; attracted over 150 participants from neighboring states and Maryland; speakers attended from as far as France, Texas, and North Carolina.

1997 – Present

(with breaks                 Screening/Student Appeals Committee

With faculty representatives hear and rule on student appeals to judicial decisions.  These can be grade appeals or appeals of sanctions for behavior.

1996 – 1998                 Baltimore City Career Connections Committee

Served on Higher Education subcommittee and chaired group to develop a K-16 consortium that would coordinate a regional approach to prepare Baltimore students to better assume their places in the world of work.

1993 – 1997                Academic Policy Committee, Inter-Institutional Coordinating Committee

2013 – Present             

Represented Towson University on this committee of a system-wide advisory body.  Made recommendations on issues like articulation policies among schools, general education requirements, and seamless transfer programs.

1984 – 1994                Academic Standards Committee, Towson University

Represented Student Services Division and, later, Enrollment Management Associate Vice President on committee of the University Senate.  Committee set academic policy and heard student appeals to those policies.

1992 – 1994                 Council of University System Staff, University System of Maryland 

Served as Towson State’s first administrative representative to the Council and was elected to the Executive Committee; met monthly with Chancellor Langenberg; edited Vol. 1, No. 1 of Update, the Council’s report to its consitituency.

1993 – 1994                 Towson State University Staff Council

Founded and chaired advisory body to President and Vice Presidents.

1990 – 1991                 Women’s Forum, University of Maryland System

2000 – 2006    Represented Towson State on System’s Executive Board and edited Network, System Forum’s newsletter to women in the system; chaired Towson State chapter.

March 1994                 Presenter at NASPA and ACPA National Conferences

Presented workshops on Murder Mystery as and Orientation Tool for National Conferences of National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and American College Personnel Association.

1997 – 1999                President, Parents’ Association, The Boys’ Latin School of

2000 – 2001                Maryland

Elected to office for the 1997-1998 and 1998 -1999 school years; served ex-officio on Board of Trustees. Re-elected for additional term.

January 1999              Appeared as guest on “The Bottom Line,” Kweisi Mfume’s WBAL-TV show

Served as expert commentator on the 60’s

Publications   Articles on the “British Invasion” and “Theater” for The Sixties in America, an encyclopedia of the 60’s.  Salem Press, 1999; “The Actors Studio,” “ Julius and Ethel Rosenberg,” “ The NAACP,  “Dance in the Fifties,” and “General Motors” for The Fifties in America (Salem Press, 2005); “The Bicentennial Celebration,” “Flex-Time,” “John Sirica” and “The Kent State Massacre” for The Seventies in America (Salem Press, 2005) .

Book review of Lift Every Voice: Echoes from the Black Community on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, by Rosella B. Camper, et al., in the Maryland Historical Magazine, Winter 2000.

Book review of  Civil War on Race Street, by Peter Levy, in the Maryland Historical Magazine, Winter, 2003.

Book review of Spare Parts: A Marine Reservist’s Journey From Campus to Combat in 38 Days, by Buzz Williams, in the Potomac Review Fall, 2004.

Book review of The Pearl Diver by Sujatta Massey in the Potomac Review, Spring 2005.

Book review of Here Lies Jim Crow: Civil Rights in Maryland by C. Fraser Smith in Maryland Historical Magazine, Spring, 2009

Education

June 1973                   Bachelor of Arts, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin

Double Major in (American) History and (Technical) Theatre

January 1993             Master of Science, Towson State University, Towson, Maryland

                                     Professional Writing: Writing for the Public and Private Sectors