February 1, 2023: Don’t miss the third episode in this 4-part series, Higher Ed Without Borders, starring Ryan Smith, president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College.
Hosts Dean Hoke of Edu Alliance and Tom Davisson explain why this series is important: Tom and I are graduates of small colleges and served as trustees of our alma maters. We understand that smaller colleges and universities offer quality personalized education, the classes have a lower student/teacher ratio, and the small college experience builds a community that will benefit them for a lifetime.
Tom: During this series, we will talk with four Small College Presidents across the United States about their institutions; what makes them unique and important to their communities. Also, we will discuss their challenges and their views for the future.
Joining us today is: The president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College, Ryan Smith. He became President in October 2019 after spending the first 23 years of his career working as a VP and partner with Smith financial advisors. In 2007 he was elected to the Gallipolis City School board, and in 2012 he won the election to be State Representative for the 93rd District of Ohio. He served as Finance Chairman, and in 2018, Ryan was elected to serve as the 103rd Speaker of the Ohio House until stepping down from his post in October 2019. Ryan graduated from The Ohio State University with a B. S. degree in Finance. His wife, Vicki, graduated from the Rio Grande, and they are the proud parents of four children.
Questions:
Tom: We are delighted to have you on the show, Ryan. I must say from the start that I am a proud graduate of Rio Grande. So let’s start by telling our audience about the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College — two separate institutions that share one President. Can you give our audience a brief history of your institution and a profile of the students who attend and the programs offered?
Dean: The University of Rio Grande is a private university founded in 1876, and Rio Grande Community College is a public community college founded in 1974. They have separate boards and funding structures. Can you discuss with our audience about this unusual model and its advantages?
Tom: For a small institution located in a rural region, you have quite an intercollegiate athletic program. Tell us about the program and the students who participate.
Dean: You do not come from a traditional path to becoming a university president. However, you have been a public servant first at the local school board and then the state legislature, where you served not only as a legislature but as Speaker of the House. Are they similar in any way and what lessons in leadership you learned in public office are applicable in your current position?
Tom: The school has been in the community since 1876. Can you tell us about the school’s involvement with the outside community meaning businesses and people in the region?
Dean: I have read articles and talked with individuals over the past years that question the viability and sustainability of smaller colleges and universities. Tell us why, in your opinion, the value of small schools such as yours to higher education.
Stay tuned for episode 4 coming February 15! Learn more at edualliancegroup.com.
About the Hosts
Dean Hoke is a Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group in the United States and Co-Founder of Edu Alliance Ltd. in the United Arab Emirates. Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications & online learning. He has led numerous initiatives that have created innovation & positive change in the higher education & non-profit sector. Dean is a member of the Board of the American Association of University Administrators, the Franklin University School of Education Advisory Board, and a member of NAFSA.
Dean began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University working in a variety of roles, including Admissions and External Relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations and a cable network. In 1998 he co-founded The Connected Learning Network, a full-service online learning company. In 2009 accepted an invitation to move to the United Arab Emirates serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology & Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014.
He participates in numerous advisory & consulting projects in international education, branding, business intelligence, and online learning. He is an active speaker and writer in the field of international higher education and distance learning. Dean has presented and written on the field of leadership, higher education, and distance learning in the United States, Turkey, Spain, Lebanon, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Hoke has a B.A. from Urbana University, an M.S. from the University of Louisville, and a Certificate in Executive Management from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. Dean currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana. You are encouraged to connect on LinkedIn
Tom Davisson served 30 years as Executive VP and COO with Sullivan University System in Kentucky. Before joining Sullivan, Tom was President of DeVry University DuPage and Area President of all Chicago area Campuses of DeVry. He has had P & L responsibilities with DeVry and Sullivan, institutions of over 8,000 students. Tom led their team at Sullivan University from a two-year institution to a regionally accredited doctoral-granting university. In addition to adding baccalaureate and masters level programming, Tom also led the university in adding a doctor of Pharmacy and Ph.D. in Management. He also led the institutions’ online development, growing to over 3,000 students taking online classes each term.
Mr. Davisson is one of the leading experts in higher education institutions, bridging the gap between education and the workforce. He has written White Papers for Governor in two states and worked on the Manpower Planning Task Force for the Governor of a third state. Tom also testified before the US Congress on Workforce legislation. In addition, he has served on and chaired visiting committees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in the Southeast US and in 5 other countries. He retired from the Board of Trustees of the University of Rio Grande in Ohio in the summer of 2019 and has been named Trustee Emeritus from their Board.
Tom has more than 47 years of experience in senior higher education administration experience. He also serves on numerous non-profit boards. He has a bachelor’s Degree from the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, a Master’s from National Louis University, and a Certificate in the Executive MBA Program from the University of Chicago.