Public Relations

Tuthill named AVP for Student Learning

            BENTONVILLE (Tuesday, July 24, 2007) – NorthWest Arkansas Community College today announced that Dr. John G. Tuthill has been named Associate Vice President for Student Learning.

            Dr. Tuthill begins work Wednesday, Aug. 1. He reports to Executive Vice President for Student Learning Dr. Chip Ates.

            “Dr. Tuthill will be responsible for directing and coordinating the responsibilities of deans and academic support areas by evaluating programs and budgets, and encouraging innovative delivery of learning initiatives through learner engagement,” Dr. Ates said.

            “We’re excited to have someone with John’s experience joining us.”

            Dr. Tuthill also will work on behalf of NWACC with accrediting agencies, such as the North Central Association, and partner with community and state agencies.

            During his 18-year career as a history professor, Dr. Tuthill taught at colleges and universities in Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Ukraine, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

            As a community college administrator, Dr. Tuthill served at Ilisagvik College in Barrow, Alaska, as Dean of Instruction, and the College of the Marshall Islands, where most recently he was Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.

            “I have worked in two of the most difficult community college environments imaginable: Arctic Alaska and tropical Pacific,” Dr. Tuthill said. “Through these experiences I have developed a set of skills that seem to prepare me particularly well for the position at NWACC.”

            His background in accreditation issues is extensive. Curriculum development has been a major issue at Ilisagvik and the College of the Marshall Islands, where he wrote the College’s professional development policy.

            “As the chief academic officer at both colleges I worked closely and productively with faculty in every teaching area: developmental, vocational and professional as well as all of the arts and science,” he said. “”My faculty colleagues would tell you that I am honest and fair, collegial, open-minded, and deeply committed to student learning.”

            Dr. Tuthill is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Chinese Studies.  He earned two graduate degrees in history, an M.A. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

            He said he was attracted to NWACC by its dedication to student learning and the cultural, educational, and social opportunities for his family in northwest Arkansas.

            “I look forward to building bridges between the College and the Marshallese community,” he said.

            Dr. Tuthill’s wife, Lyudmila, a sales specialist at Dillard’s Department Stores, will be moving to Arkansas with him, along with their daughter Olga (19) and son Alex (16).  Dr. Tuthill also has a daughter Alice (27), who lives in Evansville, Indiana.

Tuthill’s specific duties will include:

• Working with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) and the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of the North Central Association, and other accrediting agencies.
• Representing NWACC on state committees dealing with issues in Arkansas higher education.
• Assuring that learning programs and personnel maintain proper accreditation.
• Overseeing development of new learning programs and collaborating with other areas of the college for improved learning.
• Coordinating all academic support areas of the college, including oversight of distance learning programs.
• Evaluating all programs and supervising faculty development activities.
• Evaluating and working closely with deans to generate annual budgets and assuring appropriate divisional funding to keep divisions and programs learner-focused, state-of-the-art, and competitive.
• Encouraging innovative, creative and effective delivery of learning initiatives through learner engagement, service learning, faculty professional development, participation in regional and national conferences and competitions, and adoption of state of the art technologies.
• Providing models for effective learning that encourage and reward faculty innovation, faculty support for learners, and institution-wide awareness of learner needs.

For questions/comments on this content, please contact Jim Hall at jhall@nwacc.edu