Ashland University welcomes Lisa Vernon-Dotson as the new Dean of the College of Education. Vernon-Dotson will be transitioning to Ohio from Glassboro, New Jersey, where she currently serves as the Associate Dean of Education. She officially begins her duties with Ashland on July 1.
Vernon-Dotson said she is looking forward to joining the Ashland community and guiding students with an interest in teaching.
“I think Ashland is the perfect type of institution for me,” Vernon-Dotson said. “It’s focused on the student which is what I was looking for.”
Vernon-Dotson is eager to share her enthusiasm for education with others.
“Education has been my profession since I left high school,” Vernon-Dotson stated. “It’s a passion for me to have an impact on future leaders, and I’ve developed the background, experience and skills necessary to do that.”
As Dean of the Education Department, she hopes to demonstrate what it means to be a diligent educator and act in the best interest of your students.
“The best that [future educators] can do is have tenacity and push the limits on what they know is right for kids,” Vernon-Dotson said. “Building access, inclusive environments and helping all students feel like they belong in addition to teaching the content.”
Ashland University Provost, Amiel Jarstfer described Vernon-Dotson as a strong leader that will be a great addition to the university.
“She is an experienced K-12 teacher, she has advanced degrees in education, she has significant years as a college faculty member and academic leader,” Jarstfer said. “Dr. Vernon-Dotson is a good fit in alignment with the mission and values of Ashland University.”
Among these many credentials, Vernon Dotson has also published her own body of scholarly work and serves as an editor for a scholarly education journal.
Jarstfer expressed that Vernon-Dotson is dedicated to providing students with an education program that is well-rounded.
“During her on-campus interview, I think we all saw that Lisa had a firm grasp of the opportunities and challenges facing teacher preparation and she articulated ways to address these opportunities together,” Jarstfer stated.
AU Senior and education major Emma Roberts said she is excited to have a permanent Dean and she sees this change as an opportunity to improve the department.
“Personally, I have found that the most rich learning experiences in my time at Ashland have been when I am in a real classroom interacting with real students,” Roberts said. “Many students would benefit from more hands-on experiences and opportunities…whether that be in our classes, field or optional experiences. It would be amazing if the new Dean could find ways to implement this into the experience of education majors at Ashland.”
Roberts believes a good dean should be willing to hear concerns, openly communicate, have compassion and form relationships with students and faculty. She added that there are constant changes in the world of education, so flexibility and organization are valuable attributes for a leader of the education department.
“I think students and staff alike want their concerns to be heard and considered, so I hope the new dean will be willing to do that for students and staff in the education department,” Roberts said. “This can be done by having a couple students in the college of education meet with the Dean to advocate for changes and discuss student concern.”