Brodd named Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley

RICHMOND, Va. – Donna R. Brodd, Ph.D., has been appointed vice provost for academic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Brodd has served in an interim capacity since August 2001.

"Over the past year that she has been at VCU, Dr. Brodd has worked tirelessly to support the provost in the areas of curriculum, assessment and accreditation," said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., following approval of the appointment today by the VCU Board of Visitors. "Her long experience in academic issues relating to higher education will serve VCU well."

Brodd joined VCU last year after almost 15 years with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Brodd served as SCHEV's chief academic officer and member of the senior staff, directing the work of the academic affairs section which included program approval, productivity, assessment, approval of private and out-of-state institutions seeking permission to operate in Virginia and legislative reports relating to academic issues.

At VCU, Brodd chairs the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, which has responsibility for review and action on proposed undergraduate curriculum changes. She also is working with academic and educational support units throughout the university to collect assessment data in preparation for a reaffirmation of accreditation visit to VCU in Spring 2004 by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. She supervises the VCU Honors Program, the Center for Teaching Excellence and OnTrack@VCU, an automated degree-audit system.

"I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Brodd to improve the quality of academic programs at VCU," said Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., VCU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "She is a great addition to our staff."

Said Brodd: "VCU is a dynamic and exciting university. I am honored to have the opportunity to use my background and experience in higher education administration to help the university grow even stronger academically and get the credit it deserves for its initiatives."

Before she joined SCHEV, Brodd taught nursing at the University of Hawaii and Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. She has a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Kansas State University, a M.P.H. in public health from the University of Hawaii, an M.S. in nursing from the University of Colorado and a B.S. in nursing from the University of Nebraska.