Faculty and staff at West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WVU Parkersburg) participated in a series of professional development activities this month to prepare for fall semester. Notably, award-winning author and international speaker Dr. Vincent Tinto was the keynote speaker.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Tinto joined us during this special week,” said WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Fletcher Lamkin. “He is considered an expert in student success in higher education. Many of our faculty and staff members have actually cited his writings in their dissertations. He took the time to learn about our specific institutional needs and is a champion for many changes taking place to better serve our students.”
Tinto is a distinguished university professor emeritus at Syracuse University. He has carried out research and has written extensively on higher education, particularly on student success and the impact of learning communities on student growth and attainment. His book, “Leaving College,” published by the University of Chicago Press, lays out a theory and policy perspective on student success that is considered the benchmark by which work on these issues are judged.
His most recent book, “Completing College,” lays out a framework for institutional action for student success and describes the range of programs that have been effective in enhancing student success as well as the types of policies institutions should follow to successfully implement programs in ways that endure and scale up over time.
This year, Tinto was awarded the Harry S. Truman Award by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). He has also received the Council of Educational Opportunity Walter O. Mason 2012 award for his work on the retention of low-income students, the Council of Independent Colleges 2008 Academic Leadership award and the National Institute for Staff Development International 2008 award and was named Distinguished Fellow in the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations.
