OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) creates, supports, and enhances a student-centered academic environment that supports Philander Smith College’s mission and vision to “graduate academically accomplished students who are grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to intentionally change the world for the better.”  It is the administrative center which drives the academic environment at PSC.  The VPAA oversees curricula within five academic divisions, enforces academic standards, and maintains academic records.

This office also oversees the accreditation and re-accreditation process of academic programs, representing the college at conferences  and meetings addressing academic and higher education issues. This office also supervises operations of the library, research and assessment, freshmen advising, Faculty Development and the Academic Success Program (Developmental Studies and Retention).

Leading:  The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs works with academic division chairs and faculty, articulates an academic vision for the college, sets the overall academic direction of the college, and establishes the academic agenda for the future.

Facilitating:  The VPAA facilitates the accomplishment of the college’s mission and its academic goals through the development and maintenance of academic programs, procedures, and standards; in the selection, evaluation, and development of faculty and staff; in the review of academic programs; in the allocation of funds; and in the provision of information to the college community.

Collaborating: The VPAA collaborates with Division Chairs who make recommendations to him for appointments of new faculty members and their support staff.  The VPAA collaborates with the President for final approval of new faculty members and their support staff.

Coordinating:  The VPAA maintains a broad and coherent college perspective to meet the needs of the college community; the needs and character of the academic programs; and offers a quality learning environment for the college’s various academic divisions, programs, and services.

Incident Report Form

Incomplete Grade Form
Teaching Load

Dr. Frank A. James

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Myer L. Titus Building, Suite E

Office – 501.370.5276

Fax – 501.370.5399

fjames@philander.edu

fjames1868@comcast.net

He supervises the daily operations of the college’s Academic Affairs Division, a team of professors and professionals who offer curricula that generate more than 15 degree programs in five academic divisions. He oversees the administrative processes of the Academic Success Center, Retention Czar, academic advising, TRIO-Upward Bound, Faculty Development, Donald W. Reynolds Library Center & Technology Center, Institutional Research and Assessment, as well as accreditation, sponsored programs and grants.

Dr. James looks forward to serving students. All his efforts reinforce his goal—to work with his colleagues in providing PSC students with a quality education, critical thinking skills, and current technology so that they can develop their own leadership abilities as social justice advocates and contributing members of society.

Dr. Annie Winkler Williams  
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Accreditation Director

Associate Professor of Business (Tenured)

B.A., Philander Smith College

M.S., University of Wisconsin at Madison

Ed.D., University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Myer L. Titus Building, Suite E
Office - 501.975.8506

Fax - 501.370.5399

Within the Office of Academic Affairs, her current duties are as follows: 

• Scheduling Academic Appeals
• Reinstatements
• Change of Grades
• Transient Forms
• Curriculum Issues
• Withdrawals
• Catalog
• Accreditation Issues/Reports
• Academic Calendar

Beverly Richardson Director of Research and Assessment International Student Advisor (PDSO) Title II Coordinator B.S. Mathematics & Secondary Educ., University of Arkansas at Little Rock M.B.A. Information Systems Management, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Myer L. Titus Building, Suite E Office – 501 370-5280 Fax – 5012 3470-5211 brichardson@philander.edu

Des’Ree Ellison

Administrative Assistant

Office - 501.370.5216

Fax - 501.370.5399

Tia L. Hickman
HBCU-Up Program Manager
ARK-LSAMP Data Collector/Assistant Coordinator
Office - (501) 975-8549
Fax - (501) 370-5399
chickman@philander.edu

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ACCREDITATION

Philander Smith College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate degrees.  The organization can be reached at www.higherlearningcommission.org.

Philander Smith College is approved by:

 §  Arkansas Department of Education
 http://arkedu.state.ar.us

 
§  University Senate of the United Methodist Church 
www.gbhem.org/gbhem/senate.html

Philander Smith College has programmatic accreditation for the following academic programs through the following organizations:

§  Division of Business and Economics:
www.acbsp.org

§  Division of Education: 
www.ncate.org
NCATE 2012 PSC Accreditation Report

§Division of Social Sciences, Social Work Department: 
www.cswe.org

 
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The International Student Organization is comprised of 25 students representing several African countries as well as the Bahamas.  With an aggressive recruiting campaign in the Bahamas and as a member of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program, these students attend Philander Smith College on F1 visas.

Marcia Johnson, a senior from Nassau, Bahamas, is the president of the organization, which she says plans to host International Student Appreciation Week in the Spring 2012. Johnson is majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.

For more information about the ISO, contact Johnson at (501) 779-5076.

Philander Smith College International Students

With an aggressive recruiting campaign in the Bahamas and as a member of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program, 36 students on F1 visas from foreign countries are studying with us during the 11/12 academic year. Enrolled are 26 students from the Bahamas , seven from Rwanda and one student from China.  In addition we have students, faculty and staff from China, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Spain, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cameroon, Trinidad-Tobago, Palestine and South Korea.

The Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program was started by President Paul Kagame in 2006. The concept is that Rwanda would identify its best and brightest students in the sciences and arrange to have those students educated abroad in other countries. These students would be offered scholarships, earn a degree in the U.S. and then return home to help rebuild their country, which lost many of its leading minds in the genocide. The scholarships are sponsored by the Rwandan Government in agreement with several Arkansas and other U.S. colleges and universities.  An important second phase is to allow a small group of students from these 12 higher education institutions to study, work, and engage in Rwanda and the region. Philander Smith had two students participating in the Rwanda and Uganda Study Abroad and Internship Program during the spring 2010 semester.

The International Student Advisor is Ms. Beverly Richardson. She is assisted by the Registrar, Ms. Bertha Owens.