June 03, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - An educator and administrator with 40 years of experience has been named associate dean
and director of Western Kentucky University’s Owensboro Campus.
Dr. Gene Tice, former WKU vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Services, will begin his new duties on July 15.
“Dr. Tice brings a unique blend of talents and experience to WKU’s Owensboro campus,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “His Ph.D. in counseling and guidance and his years of teaching compliment well his experience in facilities management and his leadership skills with students. He will work well with leaders in Owensboro, at WKU and Owensboro Technical and Community College to grow our Owensboro programs and build the kind of public four-year and graduate higher education that Owensboro needs to grow its economy.”
WKU-Owensboro is one of three regional WKU campuses. It is located on the OCTC campus and serves a portion of 10 counties—five in Kentucky and five in Indiana. The campus has experienced a nearly 30 percent growth in enrollment in the past five years. In addition to overseeing the academic programs, operations and fiscal administration of the campus, Dr. Tice will work with Daviess County Fiscal Court on the construction of a WKU-Owensboro campus across from OCTC and will coordinate and facilitate student services.
Dr. Tice said he will draw on his experience at WKU and other institutions to help WKU-Owensboro grow.
“The expectation is to grow the program to meet the needs of the Owensboro program,” he said. “My background is in building and in student services and we will work with the other campuses in Owensboro to ensure that we meet the needs of the community.”
In addition to OCTC, there are two private institutions in Owensboro: Kentucky Wesleyan College and Brescia University. “I started in a private institution and will rely on that as well as my experience here,” Dr. Tice said. “There is a good staff at WKU-Owensboro and working together we can serve the community well.”
Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire said: “I congratulate Dr. Tice on his selection as the newly appointed director of the WKU-Owensboro campus. Based on his experience in the academic and construction arenas, I believe Dr. Tice to be an excellent fit for this community’s needs as they relate to WKU’s presence here. I look forward to meeting and working with Dr. Tice in the weeks and months ahead.”
The regional campuses are a part of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach (DELO). Dean Don Swoboda said Dr. Tice’s experience makes him a good fit.
“I believe that Dr. Tice will bring to this position the leadership and necessary skillset to continue to build the WKU-Owensboro campus and its programs for great success in the future,” Dr. Swoboda said.
Dr. Tice joined WKU in 2000 as the vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Services, supervising about 500 staff members, $500 million in new construction and renovation projects and a total operating budget of $50 million.
Prior to WKU, Dr. Tice spent 22 years at Mississippi State University, moving from director of Housing and Residence Life to associate vice president for Student Affairs while also serving as an assistant professor of counselor education. He has also worked at the University of Alabama and Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, and spent two years with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne in Vietnam.
Dr. Tice is a member of a number of professional associations, and served as president of the Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA), which has honored him with the SACSA Superstar, Melvene Draheim Hardee and H. Howard Davis Sr. awards.
Dr. Tice has a doctorate in counseling and guidance and a master’s in college student personnel from the University of Alabama and a bachelor’s in economics and business administration from Muskingum College.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
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