Oklahoma Panhandle State University selected Dr. Theresa Billiot as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs following a national search completed by an 11-member search committee. Prior to Panhandle State, she served as an Assistant Dean and Associate Professor at Woodbury University and a tenured Associate Professor in Marketing at Cameron University.
University President Dr. Julie Dinger said, "Dr. Billiot has a distinguished record of success in higher education. I have complete confidence in her vision and ability to unite and move our university forward."
Dr. Billiot earned a Doctorate in Mass Communications with a Cognate in Marketing from Texas Tech University, a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing from Florida Atlantic University, a Masters of Art in Mass Communications and Media Arts from Southern Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Art in Mass Communications from Nicholls State University.
Dr. Billiot's goals are student-centered and purpose-driven. "We used to ask students, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Now we need to ask students, "what problems do you want to solve?" This approach will help us fulfill OPSU's mission statement as well as become more purpose-driven."
"To carry this out, my office will launch Panhandle Teaching and Learning (PTL). PTL's mission is to create a collaborative ecosystem of faculty, staff, business leaders, and community partners to identify how our campus can solve industry challenges and community problems."
Improving the student experience is high on Dr. Billiot's to-do list for herself. "I want to improve the student experience at every touchpoint. We have a strong and motivated community that is very student-centric. Together, we can identify areas of improvement and create even more positive impacts."
Alumni engagement is vital to Dr. Billiot's mission of kick-starting the semester off in this new role. She stated, "It's important to get our alumni engaged in every stage of the student life cycle. From applying to OPSU, choosing a major, and interviewing for jobs, I want our alumni to serve as mentors for first-generation college students throughout their academic studies."
Dr. Billiot commented, "I look forward to having healthy discussions with faculty on how we can differentiate ourselves so we can attract students and employers to hire our graduates."
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up