Dr. Roberts Named a Darden Fellow by ODU
Dr. Al Roberts, Provost of the John H. Daniel Campus of Southside Virginia Community College, has been chosen as a Darden Fellow by the Darden College of Education at Old Dominion University. A celebration luncheon and Darden Symposium featuring the Alumni Fellows on was held on November 15, 2011.
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| Dr. Al Roberts (Center) was chosen as a Darden Fellow by Old Dominon University. He is shown with Dr. Jay Scribner, Chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, (Left) and Dr. Linda DeVitis, Dean of the Darden College of Education (Right). |
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The charge of providing quality education to American children is not an easy one. Often those who dedicate themselves to this endeavor go unrecognized and at times fade into the background. Old Dominion believes that it is important to identify and recognize those individuals who have made this commitment. The Darden College of Education has jump-started a tradition of highlighting the achievements of educators who have gone above and beyond their duties during American Education Week. American Education week is a nationwide celebration spearheaded by the National Education Association (NEA). At Old Dominion, the celebration puts a spotlight on the accomplishments of alumni through the Darden College Alumni Fellow Awards ceremony.
The Darden College of Education Fellows program recognizes one alumnus or alumna from various departments for their outstanding efforts. The fellows were nominated by their respective academic departments and selected by the Darden College of Education. As part of the program, these fellows will return to their alma mater to share their life experiences and provide inspiration to students and faculty alike.
Dr. Roberts was born and raised in Greensville County, Virginia. He received his BA in Communication Arts from Michigan State University, and he earned an M.Ed in Educational Media from Virginia State University. He was a member of Cohort 2 in the Old Dominion University Doctoral Program in Community College Leadership, and he received his PhD in Community College Leadership in 2009. His dissertation is titled, "Institutional Factors Supporting the enrollment and Persistence of African-American Males in Virginia Community Colleges.”
He joined Southside Virginia Community College in 1995 as a student development counselor. In 1998, he started a successful program designed to increase the number of African-American male students attending SVCC and to improve the retention and graduation rates for African American males. While receiving several promotions within the administration at the college, he has been able to maintain and expand his interest in African-American male recruitment and retention programs.
He served as a member of the Greensville County School Board for 24 years, eight years as Chairman.
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(c) 2011. Southside Virginia Community College. All rights reserved.
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