Dewey named director of Appalachian’s Quality Enhancement Plan

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Garner Dewey has been named director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) at Appalachian State University.

The QEP is a major part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS). Appalachian’s QEP, developed through a three-year process, is titled “Global Learning: A World of Opportunities for Appalachian Students.” It aims to move students from global awareness to global competency through multiple and varied learning experiences at home and abroad. Review of the QEP will be the focus of Appalachian’s on-site review for SACS, which will take place April 8-11.

Dewey will assist in presenting the QEP to SACS and formally assume his duties as QEP director July 1.

As QEP director, Dewey will be primarily responsible for the implementation of the QEP. He will work closely with and seek critical input from the soon-to-be established QEP Steering Council, which will be composed of faculty, staff, students and administrators and be a major force in guiding the QEP.

“I am looking forward to the challenge,” Dewey said. “I have experienced the transformative power of global learning in my own career, and I want to provide opportunities for others to learn and grow as I have during my years in international education.”

SACS requires that the QEP be implemented over five years, although many of the initiatives that Dewey will help lead will outlast that period. Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori S. Gonzales envisions global learning and the QEP as “an important part of what we need to do to prepare our students for lives as productive, informed global citizens in the 21st century.”

Dewey will report to Dr. Tony Carey, vice provost for faculty affairs and co-chair of the QEP. Carey commented, “Dr. Dewey combines three essential strengths: a varied and extensive background in international education, a thorough familiarity with Appalachian, and the administrative experience that will allow him to successfully lead a complex, campus-wide initiative.”

Dr. Jesse Lutabingwa, associate vice chancellor for international education and development and co-chair of the QEP is enthusiastic about Dewey’s appointment. “I have worked closely and effectively with Dr. Dewey for many years,” Lutabingwa said, “and I have no doubt that he will excel as QEP director.”

Dr. Renee Scherlen, professor of government and justice studies, has partnered with Dewey on numerous projects, and she has played an integral role in developing the QEP over the last three years. “He is an outstanding choice to lead the QEP,” Scherlen said. “Our faculty members have great respect for his devotion to and expertise in international education.”

Dewey is an associate professor in the Department of Technology and Environmental Design and has served as associate dean in the College of Fine and Applied Arts since 2009. One of his key responsibilities in the college has been the promotion of international education.

Dewey joined the Appalachian faculty in 2003 in the undergraduate industrial design program and graduate industrial technology program. He has been particularly active in developing programs with Costa Rican institutions and is a strong proponent of international service learning.

Dewey holds a Ph.D. in occupational studies with a minor in instructional technology and interdisciplinary qualitative studies graduate certificate from the University of Georgia. He received a Master of Science degree in technology education and a Bachelor of Science in industrial education with a concentration in technology education from the University of Tennessee.

“Engaging with the world through technologies is essential to our future as an institution,” Gonzalez said, “and Dr. Dewey’s experience and knowledge will help immensely in implementing the digital components of the QEP.”

The QEP is available online at https://qep.appstate.edu.

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About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.