PATRICIA RAMSEY, Ph.D
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Qualified, Competent and Effective A visionary and responsive leader with an unfathomable commitment to excellence and a passion for making a difference. PATRICIA RAMSEY, Ph.D. July 14, 2019 Dear Members of the Search Committee: Bluefield State has much for which to feel proud, with the Baccalaureate Nursing (BSN) program receiving continuing national accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the BSC Radiologic Technology class of 2019 achieving a 100% pass rate on the ARRT exam and a student athlete receiving the Arthur Ashe Award, all this year! Bluefield State’s mission and core values resonate with my values; therefore, I am pleased to submit my materials for serious consideration of the position of President of Bluefield State College. My letter addresses the qualities of a successful candidate, as delineated in the President Search Profile. The successful candidate must have an earned doctorate from an accredited institution; college level, tenured preferred, teaching experience In addition to having the requisite credentials to bring credibility to the position, (Ph.D. in Biology from Georgetown University, A.M. in Biology from Harvard University, M.S. in Botany from Howard University, and B.S. in Biology Education from Norfolk State University) I’ve taught at all academic ranks and achieved the rank of tenured full professor.. Demonstrated senior executive and management experience in higher education with prior presidential or CEO experience I am convinced that my more than twenty-five accomplished years in higher education where I have served as interim president, chief academic officer, deputy fundraising officer, academic department chair and professor, coupled with my vast community experience, impeccable integrity, strong interpersonal skills, deep commitment to excellence, and my passion for making a difference, provide me with the substratum and the resolve to continue the momentum that is already underway at BSC, to serve as a champion of excellence in all aspects of the institution’s operations, to advance the mission, and to move Bluefield State College to a new level of excellence. Understanding of the importance and roles of historically black institutions Having provided leadership as the Interim President of a public Historically Black College/University (HBCU) and the chief academic officer of one private and two public HBCUs, I understand many of the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in leadership of these institutions. As leaders of these institutions, we must be proactive; we must tell our stories, “in season and out of season;” we must set the tone for creative communities, and the institution must become a symbol of excellence in all that it does. The capacity to attract and maintain diverse students, faculty, and staff (Enrollment and Inclusive Engagement) My beliefs about this matter are grounded on the principles that all students deserve respect and all students have a right to learn, in a safe environment. If either of these is missing, student success is negatively impacted. Research shows that if a student is engaged at an institution, they are likely to persist to graduation. Therefore, as an educational institution, we must educate our students, faculty and staff. At my current institution, we have developed a new office of Equity and Inclusion that reports to me. Also, Patricia Ramsey 2 of 3 with some of the classroom concerns that had been shared with me, I retained a sensitivity trainer to conduct a full-day workshop during our faculty/staff institute this past January. My experience, promoting diversity includes my service as the moderator of a diversity luncheon at a national meeting this past fall; I provided leadership for the development of a diversity plan for Shaw University’s education department, served as an equity trainer for the Virginia Department of Education; addressed equity and access as a panelist for Virginia’s statewide conference on minorities in STEM and served on Bowie State’s Closing the Achievement Gap committee. Demonstrated Experience in Increasing Enrollment, Retention and Graduation Rates I do understand that increasing retention and graduation rates require a multipronged approach because there are so many factors that impact retention and graduation rates. During my tenure as Provost at Bowie State, I provided leadership for development of an enrollment management plan; introduced measures to increase Bowie State’s summer bridge retention from 70% to more than 90%; established a retention-related customer service program (funded by a private corporation); increased the second-year retention rate by 13% within my first two years as provost (from 68% to 77%); motivated the faculty to become active participants in meeting enrollment goals; used results from national instruments such as NSSE to assist in the enhancement of student retention and graduation rates, and established measures to reduce time-to- degree. Extensive experience interacting with state legislators and state governing bodies As higher education leaders, we must know and understand the national trends by which our institutions are measured. We must know the rules of the game and how to play the game. The rules of the game were not developed with access institutions or HBCUs in mind. Therefore, as leaders of these institutions, we must get a seat at the rule-making table such that we can introduce measures that demonstrate our strengths. Our legislators can help us to get a seat at the table; so, we must cultivate relationships with the legislators and their staff. Proven Ability State Level Last fall, I served on the education panel for Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus, addressing the topic, “The Relevance of HBCUs in the 21st Century.” As leaders of these institutions, we must be proactive; we must tell our stories, “in season and out of season.” During my tenure at Bowie State, I won Governor Hogan’s full support for the proposed $104 million Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing building, within his first 90 days as Governor (2015); won the support of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Maryland legislature for $15 million in additional funding for the new science, mathematics and nursing building (2014); served on Governor O’Malley’s Task Force for Clean Energy (2013-2014); successfully “lobbied” state legislators for $4.5 million in planning funds for a new fine arts building, after the vote of the House to deny funding (this resulted in a $71 million state of the art fine and performing arts center which opened in 2012); provided budget testimony before committees of the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates; spoke at a press conference with the state’s Lieutenant Governor and the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Education to introduce a federal grant received by Bowie State; selected by a member of Maryland House of Delegates to serve as master of ceremonies for the annual education breakfast. National Level In the spring of last year, hosted by Congresswoman Alma Adams, I participated in a fly-in to “lobby” Congressional leaders of education committees, in both the House and the Senate, to support Patricia Ramsey 3 of 3 Title III funding and an increase in Pell. Subsequent to the fly-in, invited Congresswoman Adams to serve as the May 2018 commencement speaker, for which she graciously accepted. With the approval of the faculty and the board, Congresswoman Adams was granted an honorary doctorate by my current institution. Leadership in external fundraising As a fundraising officer, you must have something to “sell” and you must be able to demonstrate to a prospective donor how their gift to your institution will benefit them. As a part of my fundraising plan, I will educate our university stakeholders about the art of fundraising, because everyone at the institution has a role to play, if we are to be successful in significantly increasing the number and size of gifts to the University. We will provide timely acknowledgement of gifts and we will provide reports to our donors to build greater confidence that we are good stewards of their money At my current institution, I find innovative ways to tell my institution’s story and to attract new partners, even though fundraising is not an official part of my portfolio. I was able to attract a new industry partner that resulted in a memorandum of understanding during my first year at the University. This past fall I successfully solicited a major gift for a sustainability project. At Bowie State University, I solicited and obtained corporate funding to establish a retention- related customer service program and served as a campaign champion for a comprehensive campaign that exceeded the $15-million campaign goal. As Vice President for Academic Affairs at Shaw University, I did a presentation for a corporate “ask” that resulted in a $500K scholarship gift in my first two months in the position. Further, I served as “Shaw Day” speaker at various churches to raise money for the University and established an office of research and sponsored programs that generated $10-million within my first 18 months. In closing, I am convinced that my more than 25 accomplished years in higher education, coupled with my vast community experience and my passion for making a difference, provide me with the background and the resolve to amplify the momentum that is already underway and work with the University stakeholders to move Bluefield State College to a new level of excellence. Thank you for your consideration. I would welcome the opportunity for further discussion and look forward to hearing from you! Yours, Patricia Ramsey P.S. Please review the attached curriculum vitae. Thank you for your consideration. PATRICIA RAMSEY Summary Strong, progressive, visionary and a responsive leader, skilled at building trust. An accomplished higher education administrator with a deep commitment to excellence, a solid record in teaching, and a passion for making a difference.