Eboni Pringle, Ph.D., of Kent, Ohio, has been selected as the new dean of the University College (formerly Undergraduate Studies) at Kent State University after an internal search. Pringle has served as interim dean of the college since Oct. 1, 2012. She will begin serving as the permanent dean on July 1, 2015.
“As dean, I am honored to continue working with the University College staff and the university community to deliver high-impact experiences, superior student-centered support and resources to help students achieve the goal of earning a bachelor’s degree and finding meaningful careers,” Pringle said.
Established in 1994 as Undergraduate Studies, the purpose of the unit is to provide educational experiences to ensure student success. Its mission is to provide a dynamic and engaging environment for maximizing the academic and personal potential of each student while fostering a successful transition from high school through to graduation.
“Dean Pringle brings a wealth of experience to this position,” said Todd Diacon, Kent State’s vice president for academic affairs and provost. “She has improved student success at every level of appointment and responsibility, and has proven that she is exactly the right person to propel student excellence at Kent State.”
Pringle began working at Kent State in 1998 as an academic advisor in Undergraduate Studies’ Student Advising Center. She also has served as residence hall director, financial aid counselor, assistant director of admissions, as well as assistant director, associate director and executive director of Student Success Programs. Since 2011, she has held leadership positions in Undergraduate Studies, serving as interim executive director, assistant dean and her current role as interim dean. Prior to joining Kent State, Pringle served as assistant dean of admissions at Hiram College.
Among her accomplishments at Kent State, Pringle has implemented a systemwide undergraduate research symposium to provide a high-impact experience for Kent State students, coordinated systemwide President’s Symposium on Retention to assist members of the Kent State community in understanding their unique contributions to student success, and conceived and served on the implementation team for the creation of the Dynamic Checklist, an online checklist to assist new students in completing the necessary steps to enroll, to ensure access and seamless transition to Kent State. She also co-led a complete review and overhaul of the Kent State placement processes for all eight Kent State campuses to ensure appropriate placement and academic success in beginning courses.
Active in the community and on campus with various committees, Pringle has been recognized with multiple awards and honors, including the President’s Excellence Award from Kent State and the 30 for the Future Award from the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce.
Pringle received both her Ph.D. in higher education administration and a Master of Education in higher education and student personnel from Kent State. She received her Bachelor of Science in speech and hearing from Ohio University.
As the home for exploratory majors, the University College serves the largest population of first-year students, with nearly 650 exploratory students admitted to the Kent Campus each academic year. The unit provides a structured and coherent process to assist students in identifying areas of interest and selecting a major. In addition to working with exploratory students, the University College annually serves more than 15,000 Kent State students through departmental offerings, including Destination Kent State, the First-Year Experience course and the Academic Success Center. It also is responsible for the coordination of many universitywide educational experiences, including Undergraduate Research, Degree Completion Program, College Credit Plus (formerly Dual Enrollment and Postsecondary Enrollment), university tutoring and supplemental instruction.
The college has recently moved to the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, in the newly renovated Lake/Olson Hall. Additional information about the departments, programs and services offered is available at www.kent.edu/undergradstudies.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595