ALAN DAVIS' PERSONAL WEB SITE

Educational Experience

1980 Simon Fraser University: Ph.D. in Chemistry, awarded June, 1980

1975 Simon Fraser University: M.Sc. in Chemistry, awarded April, 1975

1972 University of London: B.Sc. (Honors) in Chemistry, awarded August, 1972

Administrative Experience

August 2008 on: President, State University of New York: Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, NY

http://www.esc.edu

January 2006 to July 2008: Vice President Education, Vancouver Community College, Vancouver, B.C.

VCC serves approximately 26,000 students each year. The VP Education is responsible for programming in health sciences, design, trades, hospitality, business, music, instructor education, arts and science, language studies and continuing studies. The VP Education has 9 direct decanal reports, who in turn oversee the work of approximately 440 full time and 250 part time faculty.

In addition to the expected executive duties related to academic leadership and the management of human and financial resources, the VP Education has the key role in all aspects of planning, in the development of distributed learning and part time studies, in degree development, and in building capacity in the support of, scholarship in teaching and learning, and in applied research.

I led the writing of the VCC Campus 2020 submission and the College’s response to “Thinking Ahead”, the BC government’s review of postsecondary education. I also led the development of a major Aboriginal Service Plan proposal for 10 postsecondary and Aboriginal partners, which has received over $1 million in funding. The development of a strategy and business plan for flexible learning for the trades in BC, commissioned by the Industry Training Authority was completed, and then approved and funded by the ITA.

My own scholarship and learning continued in areas of PLAR, services to immigrants, blended learning, issues related to degree recognition across Canada, and in professional and organizational development in higher education.

2003 to 2006: Vice President, Academic and Learner Services, Niagara College, Ontario

Niagara College is a medium sized college of applied arts and technology (6,000 FTE in credit programs). As VP A&LS I was responsible for:

• all academic programming, from continuing education, apprenticeship and skills training, to postsecondary diplomas and baccalaureate degrees;
• learning enterprises such as the College’s Teaching Winery and the Niagara Culinary Institute;
• all academic governance processes and issues; and
• all student services (Library, Office of the Registrar, Athletics, Residences, Recruitment, Counseling, Aboriginal Education, and Student Housing).

These areas were staffed by about 350 full time administrative, teaching and support staff (and at least as many part time) and the approximate budget responsibility was about $52 million.

I renewed the academic climate at Niagara through re-organization of divisions and the establishment of a centre for teaching and learning, and developed and implemented policies and practices for program approval and review, and for faculty evaluation and development.

Applied research at Niagara College developed substantially during my term, with the college being one of the few in Ontario to be awarded NSERC funds. I led the establishment of a research office and its key policies and processes, and worked with Deans to ensure that faculty involvement in research was supported.

I also developed plans for the future of e-learning at Niagara, worked provincially on the recent Adult Education Review, and was actively involved in college sector submissions to the Rae Review. I chaired the Ontario College Western Region VPA group.

My own scholarship shifted to broader issues related to institutional positioning and branding, and, using Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition as a framework, the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education.

1996 to 2003: Vice President, Academic, Athabasca University, Alberta

As Vice President, Academic I had executive responsibility for all academic matters, including course and program development, delivery and evaluation, student services, educational technology, Aboriginal Education, learning accreditation, collaborative programs, and research and scholarship.

I oversaw approximately 120 full and part-time academic staff, 200 part-time tutors, and 220 professional and support staff.

In addition to the routine and regular administrative activities of planning, budgeting, all personnel issues and on-going management of these areas, I would highlight the following as my contributions to the implementation of the 1996-03 strategic university plans:

Strategic and Educational Planning:
I played a central role in the development of these plans using a highly consultative process. They provided a framework for growth, change and curriculum development at the University which was extremely successful. In particular, I provided leadership to the development of new undergraduate options in, for example, Science, Professional Arts, Management, and Information Systems.

At the graduate level, I helped establish and implement new programming in Integrated Studies, Counseling, Information Systems, Nursing, Health Studies, Project Management, and Information Technology Management and initiated the process for adding doctoral studies to the AU curriculum.

Partnerships:
I was involved in establishing and/or implementing collaborative partnerships with nearly all the Alberta colleges and institutes, as well as aboriginal agencies, consortia, unions, industries and professions. Similar partnerships are still in place with colleges in Ontario and British Columbia, and others elsewhere in Canada. Several international projects have also been initiated.

Policy Development:
Many key policies were developed, approved and implemented related to learning accreditation, course production, course and examination currency, program review, research etc.

Key Performance Indicators:
The VPA was the key liaison with the Government of Alberta for KPIs. Since 1997, AU has been one of the top-rated institutions in the province, based on selected KPIs, and received the highest available performance-based funding as a result.

Academic Climate:
I arrived at AU in 1996, one year after a series of severe budget cuts and a major reorganization of the academic staff into smaller centres. In order to improve the academic climate, I implemented consultative and management processes that were implemented thoughtfully and effectively in order to build trust, and provided resources and opportunities for academic staff to explore new and innovative program and delivery systems.

Research:
I was able to significantly improve the support for research at AU, with the establishment of the position of AVP research and the associated research services, policies and processes. I also oversaw the establishment of an international on-line journal on open and distance learning. These initiatives enabled the levels of research activity to increase significantly in many ways, and for AU’s research profile to grow both internally and externally.

A Strategic Research Plan was developed as part of the CFI/CRC applications, and the first 2 of 3 Canada Research Chairs were approved by the time I left in July 2003.

Educational Technology:
During my tenure at AU, it moved from a primarily print-based d.e. provider to one poised to be completely on-line. AU has many pioneers and innovators who explored a wide variety of options for course and program development and delivery. For my part, I was able to establish new units to support on-line development, and I led the development of a long term vision and plan for the evolution of e-learning at AU.

I represented the University on several international, national, western Canadian and provincial bodies such as the National Association for VPAs, the Western VPAs, the Canadian Virtual University, and the World Association for Distance Education. I helped start the process of US accreditation with the Middle States Board, and AU gained candidacy status in 2001, and full accreditation in 2005.

My scholarship during this period focused on the management of e-learning, the transition from a print-based d.e. system to one that is now substantially on-line, and on aspects of partnerships and consortia among d.e. and online providers.

1989 to 1996 Director, BC Open University, Burnaby, B.C.

I undertook a variety of roles during this time at the BC Open University, as Director for Science and Humanities, Director of Administrative and Applied Studies, and (at various times) was Acting Vice-President, and Acting Principal of the BC Open University.

This involved responsibility for assigned academic course program development and implementation, planning, budgeting, expenditures and staffing in the BCOU, and for a number of cross-divisional activities such as involvement in strategic planning, negotiations, electronic publishing, the BC Educational Credit Bank, the Electronic Library Network, and technology applications.

The following are some highlights of my work:

Collaborative Degrees:
I developed and implemented (and in some cases reviewed) collaborative degree programs with BCIT and many colleges in fields such as Computer Systems Technology, Medical Imaging, Health Sciences, Tourism, Natural Resource Science, Technology, Business Administration, Nursing, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Social Work, Music, and Music Therapy.

Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada:
I led the successful application of the BC Open University for full membership in AUCC.

Academic Council:
I played a key leadership role on the BC Open University AcademicCouncil, including the development of much of its policy manual.

Educational Technology:
I was the manager responsible for some notable projects that involved mixed media or on-line delivery in Ecology, Evolution, English, Film, Environmental Studies, French and Business Administration.

During my tenure at the BCOU I also contributed to several important provincial bodies, such as the Open University Planning Council, the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, the extended university VPA’s group, and the Senior Instructional Officers Committee (now SAAF) which I chaired for one year.I made presentations on behalf of the BC Open University at workshops on Student Retention, Prior Learning Assessment, Educational Technology, and the BC Credit Bank.

I also maintained my interest and activity in Chemical Education, editing the national publication of College Chemistry Canada, and co-hosting its annual conference in collaboration with BCIT in 1995 and with Niagara College in 2006.

1988-89 Institutional Evaluation Officer, Centre for Curriculum and Professional Development, Victoria

I was responsible in this position for facilitating the self-studies at several colleges in B.C. and Alberta, and for arranging and coordinating external team audits.

1987-89 Chair, Natural Sciences, Fraser Valley College (now the University of the Fraser Valley) (elected position)

Professional Affiliations and Memberships

Flexible Learning in Trades in B.C: Chair of the Steering Group (2007-2008)
Research Ethics Board, British Columbia Institute of Technology (external member, appointed 2007)
BC Senior Academic Administrators’ Forum (Chair, 2007-8)
Vancouver Board of Trade
Chemical Institute of Canada
Playwrights Guild of Canada
Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment
Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (Board Member 2005 to date, Treasurer 2007-2008, Vice President 2008 on)
Canadian Association of Distance Education
Conference Board of Canada: Advisory Committee on Review of Workplace Learning Accreditation Projects
Business Education Council of Niagara (Board Member, 2004-6)
Ontario Credential Validation Service (founding member of the Management Board, 2005-6)
Canadian Association of Native Development Officers (Board member, 1998-2001)
Alberta Advisory Committee on Educational Technology (Chair, 1997-8)
Alberta Private College Accreditation Board (member from 1996 to 2002)