Prof. Stephen Wilhite EDUCATION 1980 Doctor of Philosophy University of Oxford Oxford, England Specialization: Human Experimental Psychology 1975 Bachelor of Science Emory University Atlanta, Georgia Highest Honors in Psychology 1980-1982 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship University of Illinois, Center for the Study of Reading Urbana-Champaign, Illinois National Institute of Mental Health Grant 2007 Summer Institute Management and Leadership in Education Harvard University Graduate School of Education 2012-2013 Year-long Institute American Council on Education Institute for New Chief Academic Officers Prof. Stephen Wilhite PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE August 2017 – present Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success / Provost v Lead the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs divisions of the university with 7 direct reports. v Serve as Chairperson of Academic Council (primary decision-making body for academic and student affairs that includes university’s other two vice presidents) and Chairperson of Provost’s Council (composed of direct reports and Faculty Senate Chairperson) v Serve as member of the President’s Cabinet (composed of the president and the three vice presidents) v Co-chaired the Strategic Planning Steering Committee in development of the university’s new strategic plan, adopted in May 2019. v Led academic affairs and student affairs in preparation of the compliance report for initial accreditation of the university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges SACSCOC with the university successfully receiving initial accreditation in December 2018. v Led academic affairs and students affairs in preparation of re-licensure application of the university to the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Education, United Arab Emirates – re-licensure granted March 3, 2018 and September 15, 2021. v Co-led successful application for university accreditation by the British Quality Assurance Agency QAA in 2021, with accreditation effective in 2022. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania 2011-2015, January 2016 – June 2017 Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost v Led the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs divisions of the university with 16 direct reports: 8 academic deans, 6 assistant and associate provosts, and 2 unit directors. v Served as Chairperson of Faculty Council (the faculty’s representative body) and as a member of Faculty Council Executive Committee (composed of the Faculty Chairperson and chairpersons of all Faculty Council committees). v Co-chaired Strategic Planning Steering Committee in development of the university’s new strategic plan, Vision 2021, obtaining unanimous endorsement by Faculty Council and the Board of Trustees. v Served as tri-chair of the Steering Committee for the decennial self-study for reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, leading the university’s participation in a special Middle States project to pilot its new accreditation standards, 2015-2017. v Launched retention initiative resulting in improvement in freshman to sophomore retention from 71% in 2011 to 82% in 2016. v Established the Common Student Experience coordinating group to further the retention initiative; developed university-wide programming to incorporate the English 101 common reading into other curricular and co-curricular first-year student experiences; developed a plan for requiring Freshman Seminar for all first-year students; and initiated planning for common student experiences for the sophomore and junior years. v Led the successful application for a Bringing Theory to Practice Grant from the Association of American Colleges and Universities AAC&U to increase the number of freshman seminar sections offered in which the development of social and emotional competence skills is one of the primary instructional objectives, based on my own research showing a positive relationship between emotional competence and student success. v Work with the Dean of Students to support enhanced programming to create a dynamic campus environment that has included the expansion of living-learning communities, enhanced funding for student organizations and weekend programming, a greatly expanded intramurals program, special off-campus programming for students to expose them to other cultures, both domestically and internationally, and significantly expanded leadership development for student leaders. v Launched with the Director of the Oskin Leadership Institute a leadership development initiative that has led to the implementation of the Leadership Certificate Program, now a requirement for many undergraduate majors, and the approval of a minor in Leadership Studies, the university’s first interdisciplinary minor to be housed outside a traditional academic department. v Created two working groups to promote faculty’s use of high-impact education practices, in support of the new strategic plan, one led by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty Chairperson based on an AAC&U project and the other led by the Coordinator of Undergraduate Student Research and the Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement as part of Widener’s participation in the Bonner Foundation’s High-Impact Practices initiative. v Worked with the University President and the Senior Vice President for University Advancement to steward major financial commitments from members of the Board of Trustees to support the Oskin Leadership Institute as part of the university’s just completed comprehensive campaign, resulting in pledges in support of the institute totaling $7.2 million. v Worked with the Advancement Office to procure through the comprehensive campaign endowed gifts totaling $1 million for the Center for Teaching and Learning, $1 million for faculty excellence, and $6.6 million for scholarships. v Launched an initiative to overhaul instructional spaces on the Main Campus, creating the new position of Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Learning Spaces. v Launched an online learning initiative in partnership with Wiley that has led to new totally online Master of Social Work and Master of Business Administration programs and the conversion of the R.N. to B.S.N Program from a hybrid model to a totally online program, with a highly significant increase in enrollment and net tuition revenue. v Led the process for reorganization of the School of Law, with its main campus in Wilmington, DE and a branch campus in Harrisburg, PA, into two separately accredited law schools – the Widener University Delaware Law School and the Widener University Commonwealth Law School; worked with the Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance and the two interim co-deans of the law school during the reorganization process, to reduce by $15 million the cost structure of the law school in response to declines in enrollment and to position the two separately re-branded law schools for enrollment growth over the next three years. v Served as administrative staff liaison to the Academic Affairs Committee and the Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees; develop, in collaboration with the chairpersons, the agendas for committee meetings; identify faculty, administrators, and students for presentations to the committees; develop with the chairpersons a plan for increasing the amount of attention the Board devotes to academic and student life matters. v Attended all Board of Trustees meetings, presenting frequently on topics such as strategic planning, the separation of the two law campuses into separate schools, accreditation self-studies, student retention, and program evaluation and prioritization. v Co-chaired Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council, the university’s advisory group on matters related to advancing the Diversity/Inclusive Community strategic goal; the group is composed of senior administrators, faculty leaders, and interested staff members and helped to sponsor Safe Space training initiative on all campuses. v Participated as a member of the university’s Crisis Management Team in responding to campus threats, including one shooting of a student on campus and another shooting of a non-student who died on the Widener campus. v Led successful searches for new deans for the university’s Delaware Law School, Commonwealth Law School, School of Education, Hospitality, and Continuing Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, and School of Business Administration. v Initiated a revision of the Faculty Handbook that moved full-time, non-tenure track faculty from a “special appointments” category to a regular appointment status that will afford them the opportunity for promotion, extended-term appointments, and increased participation in faculty governance and that will give the university more flexibility in the appointment of full-time faculty on non-tenure track lines. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania July 2015 – January 2016 Interim President v Led an Executive Team of direct reports that included Interim Provost, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Senior Vice President for Advancement, Chief Community Engagement and Diversity Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Dean of Students, Special Assistant to the President, and Director of Institution Research and Effectiveness. v Launched four university-wide initiatives in support of the new strategic plan, Vision 2021: Ø Increase and improve high-impact educational practices in relation to student learning outcomes. Ø Revise faculty evaluation standards to support the implementation of high-impact educational practices. Ø Make sustainability a prominent component of the university’s civic engagement programming. Ø Develop a comprehensive financial analysis framework for academic programs that will provide a basis for resource re-allocation in support of the strategic plan. v Implemented in collaboration with the Interim Provost a new Global Engagement Office; worked to purchase a property in Costa Rica that will become a global hub to support ongoing student and faculty short-term study trips in partnership with a coffee grower specializing in sustainable, shade-grown coffee farming practices. v Launched in collaboration with the Interim Provost a reorganization of the Main Campus library, in preparation for the search for a new director, that integrates and expands instructional technology services to support online, hybrid, and traditional classroom instruction. v Interacted regularly with the CFO (Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance) and the Interim Provost on budget matters, especially the development of the projected balanced budget for the university as a whole for FY 17 budget, despite a continued combined deficit for the two law schools of $3.5 million. v Worked with the CFO to win approval of the projected FY 17 budget by the Finance and Executive committees of the Board and by the Board as a whole. v Oversaw the resolution of a budgetary challenge to the university’s K-8 charter school that involves an ongoing court case involving all of the city’s charters schools, the school district, and the state’s Department of Education. v Led a Senior Leadership Team of 30 individuals that, in addition to the Executive Team, includes most of the direct reports to the members of the Executive Team. v Worked with all standing committees of the Board of Trustees as a voting member to ensure appropriate involvement of the Board in all aspects of university governance. v Led the annual Board of Trustees retreat (with a focus on program evaluation/prioritization) and the three annual meetings of the Board. v Oriented four new members of the Board of Trustees and recruited three additional new members of the Board for the following year. v Communicated regularly with the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board to update them on significant developments and to seek their input and advice on major issues. v Worked with the Senior Vice President for Advancement to provide stewardship of the university’s high potential donors through campus events such as homecoming, alumni awards celebrations, and visits to donors to the just completed comprehensive campaign to thank them for their previous gifts and to prepare them for the next campaign that will coincide with the university’s bicentennial in 2021. v Led the university’s Crisis Management Team in response to a threat that followed the shootings on the community college campus in Oregon. v Met regularly with student leaders to explore issue and initiatives, including SGA officers, officers of the Presidential Service Corps/Bonner Leaders, and officers of various graduate student organizations. v Met regularly with political leaders in the city, county, and state during a time of major transitions in leadership at all levels of government to nurture positive, productive relationships. v Worked with city and county leaders and other anchor institutions in the city to enhance safety through implementation of a grant-supported security camera system in neighborhoods throughout the city. v Met regularly with the President’s Community Advisory Board to seek input and recommendations from leaders of non-profit organizations in Widener’s home city of Chester, PA on opportunities for enhanced university-community collaboration. v Met regularly with the Chester-Upland Neighborhood Revitalization Group to promote public safety and economic development in areas of Chester, PA. v Co-led a council of six university presidents whose institutions have connections with Chester, PA to coordinate partnerships and initiatives with organizations in the city. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania 1993-2011 Dean School of Human Service Professions v Founding Dean of the school that included: the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, offering the Psy.D. degree; the Center for Social Work Education, offering the B.S.W., M.S.W., and Ph.D. degrees; the Institute for Physical Therapy Education, offering the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree; and the Center for Education, offering the M.Ed. (in both Education and Human Sexuality), Ed.D., and Ph.D. (in Human Sexuality) degrees, B.A. degrees in elementary, early childhood and special education, and numerous teacher certification programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. v Led program development that included: growth of the M.S.W. into the university’s largest graduate program; conversion of the Master of Physical Therapy program into a D.P.T. program; approval of the Ph.D. in Social Work as the university’s first Ph.D. program; transition of Master’s and Doctoral programs in Human Sexuality from the University of Pennsylvania to Widener; conversion of the Ed.D. in Human Sexuality into a Ph.D. program. v Worked with University Advancement to obtain two large Congressionally-directed grants, one for $1.9 million and the other for $992,000, to support program development in the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, leading to the establishment of the Neuropsychology Assessment Center, the Biofeedback Clinic and Certification Center, and the Organizational Development Service. v Sponsored through the Executive Committee of the school an initiative to increase external grant funding of programs that support students’ involvement in field experiences, resulting in total funding of $1.3 million for community-based projects from sources such as the Pew Charitable Trust, U.S. Department of Justice, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Education, for the period 2007-2010. v Launched a comprehensive faculty development program in the area of teaching effectiveness, with special emphases on a more comprehensive approach to the evaluation of teaching using portfolio assessment and related techniques and increased use of what have come to be known as high-impact educational practices. v Led revision of promotion and tenure guidelines to increase expectations with regard to research productivity. v Led the school’s diversity initiative that included the establishment of a standing committee on diversity, a systematic review of all curricula in the school with regard to coverage of diversity issues, and regular surveys and associated action plans for nurturing an inclusive environment in the school and university. v Led the school’s global experiences initiative that includes an annual Interdisciplinary International Course each May for graduate students from all four units of the School and a collaborative relationship with Chongqing Business and Technology University (CTBU) in China that involves faculty and student exchange, including extended study by both CTBU faculty and students at Widener. v Launched in 2006 the Widener Partnership Charter School (WPCS), the first university-sponsored charter school in Pennsylvania and one of the first in the nation, to provide an educational alternative for families in the woefully underperforming school district that includes Widener’s Chester campus; served as Chairperson of charter school board until my promotion to Provost; led, in response to parental advocacy, the effort to amend the charter to expand the school from K-5 to K-8, and to gain approval from the university’s Board for construction of a new wing of the school to house the middle school grades; with its holistic approach to education and the involvement of faculty and students from all units of the School of Human Service Professions, WPCS has become a signature element of the university’s civic engagement initiative. v Worked with University Advancement to obtain from PECO and the Exelon Foundation a $1 million grant to support STEM curriculum development, supplemental instruction, and family-centered programs at WPCS. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania 1988-1993 Assistant/Associate Provost for Graduate Studies v Led the development and approval of the university’s first full-time graduate programs in Clinical Psychology, Physical Therapy, and Social Work. v Worked closely with the deans and the graduate program directors on formalizing and standardizing academic policies and procedures pertaining to graduate studies. v Worked with Enrollment Services and the deans to establish the position of Director of Graduate Enrollment Management. v Guided Graduate Council in the development of a general framework for ongoing evaluation of graduate programs focused on assessment of student learning outcomes. v Chaired in 1996 the university committee on academic outcomes as part of the decennial self-study for reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission and authored the section on academic outcomes in the Periodic Review Report submitted to Middle States in 2001. v Chaired the Academic Programs Task Force of the Strategic Planning Committee that crafted the university’s first comprehensive strategic plan, Vision 2015. v Chaired in 2005-06 the Middle States re-accreditation task force on Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal that focused on how implementation of the Vision 2015 strategic plan addressed accreditation standards related to planning, resource allocation, and institutional renewal. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania 1983-present Director of the Honors Program in General Education v Founding Director of Widener's undergraduate Honors Program in General Education. v Established the Honors Program Advisory Committee. v Planned and scheduled honors courses, selected faculty to teach the courses, worked with academic deans in the professional schools to incorporate the requirements of the honors program into very structured majors v Collaborated with Enrollment Management to make the Honors Program one of the university’s major assets in attracting academically talented undergraduate students to the campus. WIDENER UNIVERSITY Chester, Pennsylvania 1981-1983 Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor of Psychology v Undergraduate courses taught include human learning, memory, and thinking; developmental psychology; introductory psychology; senior research project; and the psychology of hypnosis. v Graduate courses taught include theories of learning and motivation and research methodology. v Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor, September 1987. v Promoted to rank of Professor, September 1992. v Have continued since becoming dean in 1993 to teach on an annual basis in the Psy.D. program, last year dramatically re-designing the course to make it an exemplar of a “flipped classroom.” v Chaired while still an Assistant Professor in the 1980’s the Curriculum and Planning Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences as it revised the university’s General Education requirements. MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY Decatur, Illinois 1980-1982 Assistant Professor of Psychology (tenure-track) Courses taught included human learning and memory; cognition; experimental methodology; developmental psychology; and introductory psychology. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF READING Urbana/Champaign, Illinois 1980 (January-June) Postdoctoral Research Fellow Project entitled, “Effects of Asking Questions on Memory for Prose,” was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. During academic year 1981-82, this position was held concurrently with the position of Assistant Professor of Psychology at Millikin University. THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH Sewanee, Tennessee 1980 (January-June) Instructor of Psychology Sabbatical replacement position. Courses taught included cognition; social psychology; and introductory psychology. Prof. Stephen Wilhite PUBLICATIONS Since 1980, I have maintained an active program of research in applied cognitive psychology. More recently, I have also been involved in research related to higher education, specifically faculty development and higher education leadership. Books Wilhite, S.C., & Payne, D.E. 1992. Learning and memory: The basis of behavior. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Ledoux, M.W., Wilhite, S.C., & Silver, P. Eds. 2011. Civic engagement and service learning in a metropolitan university: Multiple approaches and perspectives. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Book Chapter Silver, P.T., Poulin, J.E., & Wilhite, S.C. 2006. From rogue program to poster child: A department’s shaping of a university’s agenda. In K.Kecskes Ed. , The engaged department. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. Journal Articles Wang, N., Wilhite, S. C., & Martino, D. 2016. Understanding the relationship between school leaders’ social and emotional competence and their transformational leadership: The importance of self-other agreement. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 44, 467-490. Wang, N., Wilhite, S.C., Wyatt, J., Young, T., Bloemker, G., & Wilhite, E. 2012. Impact of a college freshman social and emotional learning curriculum on student learning outcomes: An exploratory study. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 9(2). Available at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol9/iss2/8 Wang, N., Young, T., Wilhite, S. C., & Marczyk, G. 2011. Assessing students’ emotional learning in higher education: Development and validation of the Widener Emotional Learning Scale. Journal of Psycoeducational Assessment, 29, 47-62. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2008. The leadership dimensions of education deans. Journal of Teacher Education, 59, 153-169. Wilhite, S.C., & Silver, P.T. 2005. A false dichotomy for higher education: Educating citizens vs. educating technicians. National Civic Review, 94(2), 46-54. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2004. Four dimensions of leadership in the problem-solving of education deans. Journal of Academic Leadership, 2(4). Available at http://www.academicleadership.org/volume2/issue4/articles/wepner.html Wilhite, S.C., & Silver, P. T. 2004. Civic engagement and the emergence of a metropolitan identity: The politics of mobilizing an institution to meet metropolitan needs. Metropolitan Universities, 15(4), 51-63. Wepner, S.B., Wilhite, S.C., & D’Onofrio, A. 2003. Understanding four dimensions of leadership as education deans. Action in Teacher Education, 25(3), 13-23. Wepner, S.B., D'Onofrio, A., Willis, B.H., & Wilhite, S.C. 2002. Getting at the moral leadership of deans. The Qualitative Report, 7(2). Available at http://www.nova.edu/ssss/OR/Editorial/nextiss.html Wepner, S.B., Wilhite, S.C., & D'Onofrio, A. 2002. The social and moral accountability of education deans. Action in Teacher Education, 24(1), 40-57. D'Onofrio, A., Lawler, P., O'Malley, J.P., & Wilhite, S.C. 1994. Dissertation supervision: A new path, an old guide and reflections on William James. Continuing Higher Education Review, 57(3), 1-17. Wilhite, M.R., Cohen, E.R., & Wilhite, S.C. 1992. Reliability of concentric and eccentric measurements of quadriceps performance using the KIN-COM dynamometer: The effect of testing order for three different speeds. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 15, 175-182. Wilhite, S.C. 1991. Evidence of a negative environmental reinstatement effect. British Journal of Psychology, 82, 325-342. Wilhite, S.C. 1990. Self-efficacy, locus of control, self-assessment of memory ability, and study activities as predictors of college course achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 696-700. Wilhite, S.C. 1989. Headings as memory facilitators: The importance of prior knowledge. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 115-117. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. Current research on relationship between questions and reading processes. Questioning Exchange, 2, 239-253. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. Reading for a multiple-choice test: Headings as schema activators. Journal of Reading Behavior, 20, 215-228. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. Headings as memory facilitators. In M. Gruneberg, P. Morris, & R. Sykes (Eds.), Practical aspects of memory: Current research and issues, Vol. 2, pp. 531-536. London: Wiley. Wilhite, S.C. 1986. The relationship of headings, questions, and locus of control to multiple-choice test performance. Journal of Reading Behavior, 18, 23-40. Wilhite, S.C. 1985. Differential effects of high-level and low-level postpassage questions. American Journal of Psychology, 98, 41-58. Wilhite, S.C. 1984. Hierarchical importance of pre-passage questions: Effects on cued recall. Journal of Reading Behavior, 16, 41-59. Wilhite, S.C. 1983. Prepassage questions: The influence of structural importance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 234-244. Wilhite, S.C. 1982. Sentence coding: Tests of the address-contents model and the fragmentation-conceptual focus hypothesis. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Section A, 34A, 259-274. Wilhite, S.C. 1982. Postpassage questions: The influence of question level. American Journal of Psychology, 95, 635-654. Wilhite, S.C. 1981. Word-frequency cueing effects: Recognition and encoding interference factors. American Journal of Psychology, 94, 323-337. Zeiler, M.D., & Wilhite, S.C. 1979. Operant aversive control and Pavlovian higher order conditioning. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 13, 38-40. Wilhite, S.C. 1979. Word frequency cueing effects: Encoding specificity and associative interference. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 32, 213-214. Technical Reports Wilhite, S.C. 1982. Post-passage questions: The influence of structural importance and vocabulary ability. Technical Report No. 241, Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois. Wilhite, S.C. 1982. Pre-passage questions: The influence of structural importance. Technical Report No. 234, Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois. Published Proceedings McHenry, N.C., Schaming McNiff, S., Ledoux, M.W., & Wilhite, S.C. 2008. Placing teacher candidates in a distressed district – benefits and obstacles: A case study. In The Proceedings of the 6^th Annual Hawaiian International Conference on Education, pp. 6099-6119. Honolulu, HI: Hawaiian International Conference on Education. Lawler, P., Decosmo, A.D., & Wilhite, S.C. 1996. Faculty awareness and use of adult learning principles. In The 37th Annual Adult Education Research Conference Proceedings, pp. 212-216. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida. Lawler, P.A., & Wilhite, S.C. 1997. Catching up with the information age: A new paradigm for faculty development. In The Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Improving University Learning and Teaching, pp. 369-378. College Park, MD: University of Maryland University College and the Faculdade da lidade of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wilhite, S.C., DeCosmo, A.D. & Lawler, P.A. 1996. Faculty as adult learners: Implications for faculty development initiatives. In The Eastern Adult Continuing, and Distance Education Research Conference Proceedings. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University. Prof. Stephen Wilhite PRESENTATIONS Wilhite, S.C. 2020. AURAK’s DREAMS Initiative. QS Maple Conference, Manama, Bahrain, March 3, 2020 [delayed because of COVID 19 pandemic]. Wilhite, S.C. 2019. Promoting a culture of research while ensuring excellence in teaching: Building a knowledge society (Panelist). QS India Summit, Goa, India, October 21, 2019. Hensel, N., Wilhite, S.C., Salomon, D.A., & Gillman, R. 2018. Improving learning and teaching through faculty evaluation. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Washington, DC, January 25, 2018. Wilhite, S.C. 2017. Bridging the regional skills gap: Aligning higher education output with labor market needs for greater regional development (Panelist). Higher Education MENA Conference, Dubai, UAE, November 20, 2017. Wilhite, S.C. 2016. The holistic department: Achieving departmental objectives. Presentation as part of the New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U) Holistic Department Workshop, Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Washington, DC, January 20, 2016. Wilhite, S.C. 2015. Assessing the holistic department. Presentation as part of the Holistic Department Chair Workshop, New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U) Summer Institute, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN, June 17-19, 2015. Meekins-Davis, M., Schechner, S., & Wilhite, S.C. 2014. Moving diversity forward: Collaborative partnerships in general education and strategic planning. Paper presented at the 49th Annual International Conference of the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), Pittsburgh, PA, July 15, 2014. Pickron-Davis, M., & Wilhite, S.C. 2014. A university-based charter school as a vehicle for reforming urban education and rebuilding university-community relationships. Paper presented at the New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U) Summer Institute, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, June 27, 2014. Schechner, S., & Wilhite, S.C. 2014. From project to general education program: Improving and assessing student learning around diversity. Poster presented at the Association for American Colleges and Universities Conference on Diversity, Learning, and Student Success:  Policy, Practice, and Privilege, Chicago, IL, March 2014. Ledoux, M., Wilhite, S.C., & Silver, P. 2008. Scrounging for dollars to support a charter school: Grant writing as a catalyst for community partnerships. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan University, Cincinnati, OH, October 20, 2008. Wilhite, S.C., Ledoux, M., & Yoder, N. 2008. University community schools as an agent for change. Paper presented at the National Forum of the Coalition for Community Schools, Portland, OR, April 30, 2008. Ledoux, M., Wilhite, S.C., Silver, P., Anderson, A., Gray, C., & Turner, J. 2007. Oh what a tangled web we weave: An engaged university learns to function as an agent of change in a distressed school district. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Baltimore, MD, October 23, 2007. Wilhite, S.C., Silver, P.T., Ledoux, M. 2006. Strange bedfellows: The political dilemmas of “doing good.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Miami, FL, October 23, 2006. Wilhite, S.C., Silver, P., & Ledoux, M. 2005. Partnering with a distressed school district: The politics of trying to made a difference in children’s lives. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Los Angeles, CA, October 3, 2005. Wilhite, S.C., & Silver, P.T. 2004. Civic engagement and the emergence of a metropolitan identity: The politics of mobilizing an institution to meet urban and metropolitan needs. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, New York, NY, October 4, 2004. D’Onofrio, A., Wepner, S.B., & Wilhite, S.C., & Lilly, M.S. 2004. The ethical dean: A search for reflective professional development practice. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Chicago, February 8, 2004. Wilhite, S.C., Brabender, V., Dole, R., Silver, P., & Wepner, S.B. 2003. Promoting civic engagement through urban partnerships. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Ypsilanti, MI, September 22, 2003. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2003. The use of vignettes as a forum for the professional development of education deans: An interactive symposium. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 23, 2003. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2003. On becoming a more reflective education dean: Using four dimensions of leadership as part of continuing professional development. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA, January 25, 2003. Wilhite, S.C., Fielder, J.H., & Lawler, P.A. 2002. Ethical dilemmas in professional education and practice: Practical application of decision-making strategies. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 2, 2002. Wepner, S.B., D'Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2002. Four dimensions of leadership: Evidence of accountability in the problem-solving of education deans. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New York, NY, February 25, 2002. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., Wilhite, S.C., & Willis, B. 2001. Leadership: The social and moral accountability of deans of schools and colleges of education. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Dallas, TX, March 2, 2001. Lawler, P.A., Fielder, J.H., Savidge, M.A., & Wilhite, S.C. 2000. Ethical dilemmas in evaluation practice: Practical application of decision-making strategies. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Honolulu, HI, November 1, 2000. Wepner, S.B., D’Onofrio, A., Willis, B., & Wilhite, S.C. 2000. The education dean and the moral dimension of leadership in teacher education. Symposium presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Chicago, IL, February 27, 2000. Morahan, P.S., Richman, R.C., Lawler, P.A., Wilhite, S.C., & Kauffman, S. 1999. Differences in academic health center (AHC) and Benchmarks norm data: Implications for organizational change. Paper presented at the 1999 Benchmarks Users’ Conference for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC, March 22-23, 1999. Necessary, J.R., & Wilhite, S.C. 1996. Effects of a cooperative learning strategy on academic achievement and personal and social attributes in an introductory college computer course. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY, April 9, 1996. D’Onofrio, A., Kauffman, S., Walter, C., Young, T., & Wilhite, S.C. 1996. Subjectivity and qualitative evaluations. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Atlanta, GA, November 8, 1996. D’Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 1995. The social construction of collegiate restructuring: The disparate views of liberal arts and professional faculty. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, April 19, 1995. D’Onofrio, A., Brogan, B.R., O’Malley, J. P., & Wilhite, S.C. 1995. Rediscovering professional practice through portfolio assessment: Implementation at two levels of teacher education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, Washington, D.C., February 13, 1995. D'Onofrio, A., Wartenberg, A., Freney, C., & Wilhite, S.C. 1994. Qualitative inquiry and portfolio methods of assessment on the elementary language arts curriculum. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Chicago, IL, February 17, 1994. Wilhite, S.C., & D'Onofrio, A. 1993. Identifying latent variables measured by the Study Activity Survey. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA, April 13, 1993. D'Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 1992. Dimensions of opinion among professors of planning: Empirical measures of disparity. Paper presented at Distancia '92, International Meeting on Distance Analysis, Rennes, France, June 25, 1992. Barnett, Y., D'Onofrio, A., Jones, S., & Wilhite, S.C. 1992. Encouraging minority students in doctoral programs in education: More than one level of challenge. Paper presented at the National Conference on Leadership and Social Responsibility, Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ, April 11, 1992. Wilhite, S.C., 1992. Self-concept of academic ability, self-assessment of memory ability, academic aptitude, and study activities as predictors of college course achievement. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, April 21, 1992. D'Onofrio, A., O'Malley, J. P., Lawler, P. A., & Wilhite, S.C. 1992. Learner-centered dissertation supervision: Conceptual models and case examples. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, San Antonio, TX, February 27, 1992. Wilhite, S.C. 1990. Self-efficacy, locus of control, self-assessment of memory ability and study activities as predictors of college course achievement. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA, April 17, 1990. D'Onofrio, A., & Wilhite, S.C. 1990. The anatomy of small controversies: Development and implementation of a graduate program evaluation. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA, April 17, 1990. Wilhite, M.R., Cohen, E., & Wilhite, S.C. 1990. Reliability of concentric and eccentric measurements of quadriceps performance using the KIN-COM dynamometer: The effect of testing order for three different speeds. Paper presented at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 3, 1990. Wilhite, S.C. 1989. Headings and prior knowledge in the search and recall of text. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Austin, TX, November 29, 1989. Wilhite, S.C., & Fox, M. 1989. Differences in the perception of children's temperament by mothers, fathers, and teachers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA, March 31, 1989. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. The relationship of headings, questions, and prior knowledge to multiple-choice test performance. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Tucson, AZ, December 1, 1988. Wilhite, S.C. & Fox, M.M. 1988. Relationship between parents' ratings of children's temperament and parents' personality characteristics. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, April 28, 1988. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. Reinstating environmental context: Does it facilitate memory for prose? Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, April 28, 1988. Wilhite, S.C. 1988. Differential effects of headings on high- and low-knowledge readers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 5, 1988. Wilhite, S.C. 1987. Headings as memory facilitators. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Practical Aspects of Memory, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom, August 6, 1987. Wilhite, S.C. 1987. Headings and the activation of pre-existing knowledge: Effects on multiple-choice test performance. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the United Kingdom Reading Association, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, July 27, 1987. Wilhite, S.C. 1987. Effectiveness of headings: The issue of pre-existing knowledge. Paper presented at the annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, D.C., April 24, 1987. Fox, M. & Wilhite, S.C. 1987. Parent and teacher ratings of temperament in early childhood. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Arlington, VA, April 11, 1987. Wilhite, S.C. 1986. Reading for a multiple-choice test: Headings as schema activators. Paper presented at the National Reading Conference, Austin, TX, December 3, 1986. Wilhite, S.C. 1986. Headings as memory facilitators: The importance of pre-existing knowledge. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Kerhonksen, NY, October 30, 1986. Wilhite, S.C. 1986. Multiple-choice test performance: Effects of headings, questions, motivation, and type of retention test question. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, April 18, 1986. Wilhite, S.C. 1985. Reading for a multiple-choice test: The effects of headings, questions, and locus of control. Paper presented at the Fourth European Conference on Reading, Dublin, Ireland, July 16, 1985. Wilhite, S.C. 1985. The relationship of headings, questions, and locus of control to multiple-choice test performance. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 4, 1985. Wilhite, S.C. 1984. Postpassage questions: A levels effect. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 25, 1984. Wilhite, S.C. 1984. Organizational effects of adjunct questions. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the International Reading Association, Atlanta, GA, May 9, 1984. Wilhite, S.C. 1983. The structural importance of adjunct questions: Its relationship to test and subject variables. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, Detroit, MI, May 29, 1983. Wilhite, S.C. 1983. Hierarchical importance of pre-passage questions: Effects on cued recall. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, May 6, 1983. Wilhite, S.C. 1983. Memory for prose: The influence of question type, test type, and vocabulary ability. Paper presented at the 15th Annual Conference of the Illinois Reading Council, Springfield, IL, March 18, 1983. Wilhite, S.C. 1982. Pre-passage questions: the influence of structural importance. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN, May 7, 1982. Wilhite, S.C. 1982. The effects of questions of different structural importance on memory for expository material. Paper presented at the 14th Annual Conference of the Ilinois Reading Council, Springfield, IL, March 19, 1982. Wilhite, S.C. 1979. Word frequency cueing effects: Encoding specificity and associative interference. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society, Nottingham, England, June 8, 1979. ACCREDITATION/PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, AWARDS, HONORS 2021-present Certified Commission for Academic Accreditation CAA Reviewer for accreditation of UAE higher education institutions and programs 2021-present Approved evaluator for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges SACSCOC, one of the U.S. regional accrediting bodies 2014-2018 Member of the Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education, Physical Therapy Panel 2012-2013 Participant in American Council on Education Institute for New Chief Academic Officers Summer 2007 Participant in the Harvard Institute for Management and Leadership in Education 2000-present Chairperson of the Widener University Emotional Competence Initiative 2000-present Member of accreditation site visit teams for the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education 1999-present Member of accreditation site visit teams for Middle States Commission on Higher Education 1995-1998 Boettner Institute of Financial Gerontology Board of Trustees 1995 Kappa Delta Pi (Education Honorary) 1991-1992 Member of the Program Committee for the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association 1991-92, 1988-89, 1987-88, 1986-87, 1985-86 Widener University Faculty Research Grant 1991 Member of Editorial Advisory Review Board for the Fortieth Yearbook of the National Reading Conference, Learner factors/teacher factors: Issues in literacy research and instruction 1991 Widener University Faculty Development Grant 1990 Member of the Editorial Advisory Review Board for the Thirty-ninth Yearbook of the National Reading Conference, Literary theory and research: Analyses from multiple paradigms 1989 Session chairperson, Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference 1989 Member of the Program Committee for the Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference 1988 Phi Kappa Phi (Scholarship Honor Society) 1986-1988 Contributing Editor, Questioning Exchange 1986-1992 Guest Reviewer, Journal of Reading Behavior 1981-1983 Editor, Technical Report Series, Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois 1980-1982 National Research Service Award (National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Training Grant) 1978-1979 Danforth Graduate Fellowship 1975 National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (awarded but declined for study in Britain) 1975-1978 Marshall Aid Commemoration Scholarship for Study in Britain 1975 Best Undergraduate Thesis in Psychology 1974 Phi Beta Kappa 1974 Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honorary) 1971-1975 National Merit Scholarship 1971-1973 United Methodist Scholarship PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 2012-present American Council on Education 2000-present Association of American Colleges and Universities 1994-present American Association for Higher Education 1983-present American Educational Research Association 1984-present Association for Psychological Science 1981-present International Reading Association REFERENCES
	Prof. Joseph Wallis Dean School of Business American University of Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates Email: joseph.wallis@aurak.ac.ae Telephone: +971 54-748-7776	Mr. Kevin Konecny Associate Provost for Student Affairs American University of Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates Email: kevin.konecny@aurak.ac.ae Telephone: +971 56-273-5354
	Dr. Paula Silver Former Dean (Retired) School of Human Service Professions Widener University Chester, PA, USA Email: paulatersilver@gmail.com Telephone: +1 484-432-3370	Dr. Denise Gifford Former Dean of Student Services (Retired) Widener University Chester, PA USA Former Associate Provost Office of Student Success American University of Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates Telephone: +1 302-333-2849