Hunter R. Boylan, the Director of the National Center for Developmental Education and a Professor of Higher Education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, is the keynote speaker for the February 2002 VADE Conference. He is also the Editor of Research in Developmental Education, a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Developmental Education, the Journal of Teaching & Learning, and the Principle Investigator for the ongoing National Study of Developmental Education.

He is the current Chairperson of the American Council of Developmental Education Associations and the former President of the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE). He has received NADE awards for "Outstanding Leadership" and "Outstanding Research." In 1996, NADE designated its award for "Outstanding Research Publication," the "Hunter R. Boylan Award" in honor of his contributions to research in the field. He has received other awards for outstanding scholarship from the Midwest College Learning Center Association, Grambling State University’s College of Education, and Appalachian State University’s College of Education. In the spring of 2000, Dr. Boylan was named as a Founding Fellow of the American Council of Developmental Education Associations. During fall convocation ceremonies, he received Appalachian State University’s "Distinguished Graduate Faculty" award.

Dr. Boylan received his Ph.D. in higher education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, his master’s degree in counseling psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, and his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Miami University in Ohio. From 1969 to 1980 he held a variety of positions in developmental education at Temple and Bowling Green State universities, teaching study skills courses, directing tutoring and academic advising programs, working with TRIO Programs, and directing a learning center. In 1980, he became the founding Director of the Kellogg Institute for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators and a graduate faculty member at Appalachian State University. In 1987, he helped establish and served as director of the nation’s first doctoral program in developmental Education at Grambling State University in Louisiana. After serving briefly as a Visiting Scholar at Penn State University, Dr. Boylan returned to Appalachian State in 1989 to direct the National Center for Developmental Education and coordinate the university’s graduate program in developmental education. Under a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation, he designed and coordinated a national study of the performance of 6,000 students enrolled in 130 developmental programs. In 1992, he organized the first National Conference on Research in Developmental Education.

Dr. Boylan received his Ph.D. in higher education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, his master’s degree in counseling psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, and his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Miami University in Ohio. From 1969 to 1980 he held a variety of positions in developmental education at Temple and Bowling Green State universities, teaching study skills courses, directing tutoring and academic advising programs, working with TRIO Programs, and directing a learning center. In 1980, he became the founding Director of the Kellogg Institute for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators and a graduate faculty member at Appalachian State University. In 1987, he helped establish and served as director of the nation’s first doctoral program in developmental Education at Grambling State University in Louisiana. After serving briefly as a Visiting Scholar at Penn State University, Dr. Boylan returned to Appalachian State in 1989 to direct the National Center for Developmental Education and coordinate the university’s graduate program in developmental education. Under a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation, he designed and coordinated a national study of the performance of 6,000 students enrolled in 130 developmental programs. In 1992, he organized the first National Conference on Research in Developmental Education.

Dr. Boylan’s numerous hobbies and interests include gourmet cooking, collecting, restoring, and shooting military firearms, wine collecting and tasting, hiking, racquet ball, canoeing, bicycling, and chess. His favorite saying is "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

VADE is honored that Dr. Boylan will be addressing developmental educators from all over Virginia at the February conference. Many members of VADE attended the Kellogg Institute and are looking forward to seeing him.

The VCCS Professional Development Committee has approved Peer Group status for VCCS Developmental Education. The Peer Group includes anyone teaching pre-college level classes at VCCS campuses; and anyone whose job is in direct support of the developmental student population, such as in tutoring or student services for them.  In not applying a discipline-based definition for this new Peer Group, the VCCS is recognizing that we are Peers by virtue of the common goals we have to serve a population of students, a break with its tradition of defining faculty Peers as those whose interests lie in the common content of an academic discipline. In this case, it's about the people, not the subject matter.

Among other things, what this means for the Developmental Education Peer Group is financial support for the Peer Group Meetings.  The Virginia Association for Developmental Education has put on annual conferences for years, and VADE members, over 90% of whom are developmentalists and counselors in the VCCS, will continue to organize the VCCS Peer Group Meetings/VADE Conferences.  However, membership in the Peer Group is not contingent upon membership in VADE; we are sister organizations and will retain VADE affiliation so that we can continue to include our four-year college and high school colleagues.

While the VCCS Developmental Education Peer Group will meet every year instead of every two years, as the majority of the Peer Groups do, we will be supported financially on the two-year cycle.  As such, the funding should cover a VCCS attendee's accomodation costs, but the registration fee (usually around $75) might not be covered by the VCCS funding.

The Spring 2002 VCCS Developmental Education Peer Group/VADE Conference will be a great opportunity to get together with your fellow developmental educators, to learn about what is happening in developmental education at other Virginia institutions, and to share your own successes or concerns through your presentation. Please plan to join us, and please plan to share your experiences by presenting.

The Advisor Plus Partner Program at Southwest Virginia Community College is one of the programs currently in place for high-risk students.  It is a part of the Title III Activity 3 --Improving Academic Programs and Student Services: Retention through Academic and Career Planning.

The purpose of the program is systematic attention to intervention needs of high-risk students in order to help them to increase their academic and social integration into college.   By providing them a system of support that helps them to develop responsibility and academic strengths as students, as well as a sense of belonging and fitting into the college setting, we hope to be a part of an experience that really makes a difference in our students' lives.

 The Program involves faculty advisors and counselors working together as a team to provide specialized advisement for students identified as high-risk.  Students come to the program in several ways.  Counselors recommend that they participate; instructors also identify students needing the program’s support.  In some cases, instructors become Advisor Plus Partners and embed the program in their classes, providing every student an opportunity for individual time and attention from the instructor and paths to the many support services available to help them to succeed.

 The process of helping to identify student needs for success involves the use of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) and a set of suggested goals to accompany each subscale of LASSI.  Students meet with their partners to set needed goals.  In addition to each student’s move toward self-direction, the instructor-student relationship provides an additional reward for both.

 Over the last three years, 321 students have participated in the program.  Of the 321 students, 221 (68%) returned for the Spring 2001 semester.  Of the 221 enrolled during Spring 2001, 163 (74%) earned a GPA of 2.000 or above.  The program is in its youth and holds much promise for improvement and expansion.  Our vision is to connect with as many students as we can via classroom, support centers, and partnerships between Advisor Plus Partner and Student.

 Our symbol is the lighthouse, and our motto is “Helping Students to Take Charge: Limitless Possibilities for Students’ Futures.” Both our symbol and motto serve to help both Advisor Plus Partners and Students experience enthusiasm about the program’s potential for helping students to succeed in college.  Hearing students’ stories of excitement when they make good test grades, seeing students’ anxiety turn to confidence, and just having them stop by to exchange casual conversation make every minute of the project worthwhile.