MELBOURNE (June 14, 2012) – Ozarka College President Dr. Richard Dawe has announced that a new Vice President of Academic Affairshas been hired.
Dr. Dennis C.Rittle, Dean of Academic Affairs at Brown Mackie Collegein Salina, Kan., will begin in the position on July 2.
“I am excited forthe opportunity to work with Dr. Rittle at Ozarka College,” said Dr. Dawe. “The leadership, experience and educational philosophy he bringsto the college will enable us to advance to higher levels of performance ineducating our students and serving our communities.”
The Vice Presidentof Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer of the college, responsible for overseeing academic programs and curricula, ensuring quality ofinstruction, and supervising all faculty members.
Joan Stirling, Vice President of Institutional Research and Planning, has served as interimVPAA since mid-March and chaired the position’s search committee.
Dr. Rittle began serving in higher education in 1995 and earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership with a major in Human Resource Development from the School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Regent University. During his service within higher education, Dr. Rittle has served on the staff of the Kansas Board of Regents where he aligned technical curriculum for post secondary institutions across the state of Kansas.
He has also servedas a technical education administrator at Butler Community College in Kansas, which has an enrollment of more than 12,000 students. In addition, Dr. Rittle served as a program director,instructor and curriculum writer for the Community College of the Air Force.
His scholarly endeavors include presenting at numerous national and international business and leadership conferences, including serving as a guest lecturer in Oxford, U.K.He has published extensively in publications such as the Journal of Businessand Leadership, the Effective Executive, HRM Review, Global CEO, and theJournal of Advances in Business Research.
Dr. Rittle and his wife, Christy, have been married for 20 years and have two children, Daniel and Childress.
