Chief Academic Officer and Provost at MyCollege Foundation
Nominee: Linda Thor
Dr. Vernon C. Smith is the Chief Academic Officer and Provost at MyCollege Foundation, where he works to help low-income youth in America gain quality college degrees more affordably. For over 20 years he worked at Rio Salado College, the largest online two-year community college, where he served in many positions including Faculty Chair for Foreign Languages, Faculty Senate President, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Dean of Instruction, and as Vice President of Academic Affairs. He was a pioneer in online language courses and programs, and is nationally recognized as an innovator in the field. He has an extensive background in distance learning issues and practices, adjunct faculty development, effective assessment, retention strategies, and predictive modeling for student success.
Dr. Smith earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Latin American Studies and Spanish at Brigham Young University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and holds a Master of Organizational Behavior from the Marriott School of Management. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Organization and Administration of Higher Education from the Center for the Study of Higher Education at The University of Arizona.
Dr. Smith served with Transparency by Design, a national accountability initiative, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of EDUCAUSE.