CAMPUS NEWS
New York Times: WC committed to economic diversity Westminster College was named No. 21 in the New York Times’ third annual College Access Index, a ranking of colleges based on their commitment to economic diversity. The list included 171 private and public institutions. The ranking is based on a combination of the number of lower-and middle-income students that a college enrolls and the price it charges these students. The index also ranks colleges and universities with a
five-year graduation rate of at least 75 percent on their commitment to providing access to students from all income levels. “This recognizes the great work of our faculty and staff in recruiting and supporting diverse students to graduation and the generosity of alumni and friends of the College who help make it possible for students to access this caring and challenging environment,”said Westminster President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, STUDENT AFFAIRS DEANS APPOINTED Westminster College has appointed two new members to its leadership team: Dr. Jeffrey Scott Coker and Carllos D. Lassiter. Effective in June, Coker will serve as Westminster’s next vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. Lassiter will begin his tenure as vice president for student affairs and dean of students in July. “We are delighted to have Dr. Coker and Dean Lassiter joining us at Westminster this summer,” said Westminster President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson. “Their accomplishments as educators and administrators prepare them well for academic leadership here.” Coker most recently served as director of the Elon Core Curriculum and associate professor of biology at Elon University in Elon, N.C. As director, Coker provided oversight for more than 120 faculty teaching Core Curriculum courses each year. He led the revision of First-Year Foundations courses for the university, implemented an interdisciplinary capstone project requirement for all students, doubled the experiential learning requirement for all students, and created new advising materials. He also led the common reading program, developed intellectual events for all first-year students, and helped to create a new summer orientation program for incoming students. He earned his undergraduate at Davidson College, and his master’s and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Coker succeeds Dr. Susanne Wood, interim vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College. Lassiter currently serves as vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Rust College, Holly Springs, Miss. As the chief student affairs officer, Lassiter oversees residence education; student health; religious life; greek life; student activities; student conduct; and campus security. He implemented a new crisis assessment,
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intervention and response plan and created partnerships with local colleges to develop a cross-institutional student leadership training program. He also developed mental health resource partnerships with local community and state-wide agencies, created rebranding of the student life experience at Rust College, and reorganized student housing, creating a model residential education program with emphasis on integrating learning, engagement and development in campus co-curricular programming. With more than 14 years of experience in student affairs, Lassiter has served at a variety of academic institutions, including Vanderbilt University, Tulane University, and the University of Chicago. Lassiter earned his bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, and his master’s from the University of Mississippi, where he will complete his Ed.D. in spring 2018. He replaces Dr. Neal Edman, who is retiring after 29 years at Westminster College.
