AASCU-Penson Center Helps College and University Leaders Nationwide

AASCU-Penson Center
Image: aascupenson.org

A longtime education administrator, Dr. Keith Miller is the formers president of Virginia State University and president emeritus of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. In addition to leading institutions in Virginia and Pennsylvania, Dr. Keith Miller has worked closely with organizations such as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). He currently works as a consultant at the AASCU-Penson Center for Professional Development.

In its efforts to help college and university executives advance the success of their institutions, the Penson Center offers a range of consulting programs and services. The organization helps school leadership teams develop and implement new strategic plans, set goals and initiatives, and establish funding. The center also assists with leadership assessment and development, board creation, and team building.

Beyond these activities, the Penson Center has experience helping colleges and universities manage finances, plan academic programs, and establish strong relationships with key stakeholders and community partners. In recent years, the AASCU-Penson Center has worked with dozens of institutions in states throughout the country, including California, Texas, and New Jersey.

LHU’s New Branding Campaign and New Website

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Image: lockhaven.edu

A former president of Virginia State University, Dr. Keith Miller currently resides in Chester, Virginia. Dr. Keith Miller, whose specialties include institution branding and enterprise resource planning, is currently president emeritus of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (LHU).

Located in the city of Lock Haven in central Pennsylvania, LHU is a state university with a student population of 3,555 undergraduates and 370 graduate students. The university recently launched a branding campaign known as “The Haven Advantage.” Intended for potential students, the campaign highlights the experiences that await new students and the advantages of receiving an education from Lock Haven. Several unique programs, including The Haven Mindset and The First-Year-Experience, are described as part of the initiative.

Corresponding to the launching of the branding campaign is the introduction of a new website, with the school’s primary domain now lockhaven.edu from the previous lhup.edu. Improvements in the new site include more advanced personnel, department, and academic directories and enhanced content designed for student recruitment.

AASCU-Penson Center Consults College and University Leaders

AASCU-Penson Center
Image: aascupenson.org

During a career spanning over 25 years, Dr. Keith Miller has held many academic and administrative positions in higher education. He served as president of Virginia State University and is president emeritus of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Utilizing his years of experience, Dr. Keith Miller also offers counsel in his role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Penson Center for Professional Development (AASCU-Penson Center).

Composed of many former chancellors and presidents of public universities and colleges, the AASCU-Penson Center works to improve higher education in the U.S. It is the sole consulting firm focused on improving such institutions by strengthening their presidencies. Its team of associate consultants draws upon their proven individual success to provide sitting university and college leaders a personalized approach to issues facing their institutions.

The AASCU-Penson Center offers a host of different consulting services designed to assist the leaders of higher education institutions. Among these are assessing and developing leadership personnel, strengthening fundraising infrastructure, leadership transition management, and services specific to improving board member performance.

Virginia State University Chosen for Wallace Foundation Program

VSC Cares
Image: vsu.edu

 

A graduate of the University of Arizona with a PhD in education, Dr. Keith Miller has served in several executive roles in higher education, including as president of Virginia State University. Dr. Keith Miller currently leverages his training and experience to work with students pursuing doctorates at Virginia State University (VSU).

In November of 2016, VSU announced that the Wallace Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds a number of initiatives focused on improving the quality of education for children with disadvantages, has chosen the school to participate in a national program designed to provide more effective training for aspiring school principals. Through the $47 million, four-year initiative, VSU will develop models to strengthen its principal-training program in conjunction with the state’s Department of Education and district partners.

The university will specifically partner with Hopewell City Public Schools, Henrico County Public Schools, and Sussex County Public Schools, all of which are districts that often hire graduates of VSU. This cooperation will help facilitate the creation of evidence-based training aligned with the specific needs of local schools. In addition, VSU will receive assistance in revamping its principal-training program from the Georgia-based Quality-Plus Leader Academy, which is known for its expertise in developing successful school administrators.

Cub and Webelos Adventure Camp of the BSA’s Heart of Virginia Council

Cub and Webelos Adventure Camp
Image: cubadventurecamp.net

Dr. Keith Miller is an experienced educational administrator who formerly served as president of both Virginia State University and Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Outside of the professional environment, Dr. Keith Miller serves as an executive member of the Boy Scouts of America’s Heart of Virginia Council in Richmond.

Among its numerous scouting programs and initiatives, the Heart of Virginia Council supports a multifaceted Cub and Webelos Adventure Camp at the Heart of Virginia Scout Reservation in Goochland County, approximately 30 miles west of Richmond.

Funded by the Campaign for Family Values, the construction of this $10 million camp ended in 2002. Since that time, the camp has provided a range of outdoor activities for young Scouts throughout the region. Its campgrounds feature a range of facilities, including a nature lodge, a pool and spray playground, an archery range, a fishing dock, and a BMX bike course. The camp also contains a variety of camping facilities and a kitchen/dining hall that can feed as many as 400 people.

Creating a Success-Driven Organization with Shared Responsibilities

Keith Miller
Image: aascupenson.org

Dr. Keith Miller is a respected educational administrator who has engaged as Virginia State University president and enabled the creation of a number of public-private partnerships. One of Dr. Keith Miller’s key accomplishments was the establishment of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing. He currently advises Virginia State University doctoral students and is a consultant with the AASCU-Penson Center for Professional Development.

In “It’s About Me,” one of his articles featured on the AASCU-Penson Center website, Dr. Miller focuses on the ways in which selfish attitudes within organizations can bring about their early demise. The key as a leader is to look beyond one’s personal agenda and familiarize oneself with how rank-and-file members of the organization view things. This helps mitigate friction and misunderstandings that can arise between the various cliques and factions that inhabit any system, particularly those that bring individuals of diverse backgrounds together.

The success-driven leader sets in place mechanisms of unhindered communication and feedback at all levels of the organization, with an aim of encouraging group work around shared objectives. The aim is not to take credit personally for accomplishments but rather to create an environment in which everyone succeeds through pulling together and coordinating their efforts seamlessly.

New Presidents Academy Strengthens University and College Leaders

American Association of State Colleges and Universities
Image: aascu.org

Previously the president of both Lock Haven University and Virginia State University, Dr. Keith Miller now mentors other leaders of institutions of higher learning. A resident of Chester, Virginia, Dr. Keith Miller is a former faculty member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) New Presidents Academy.

As part of the AASCU’s goal to increase public understanding of higher education and prepare students for modern education, the organization holds the annual New Presidents Academy. Focused on addressing the specific needs of new university leaders, the meeting enables participants to share information and experience with peers. It is intended to be a supportive environment for learning about and dealing with circumstances facing new executives. The faculty, composed of presidents, share knowledge gained over the course of their tenures during presentations.

The meeting consists of four all-day sessions on a range of topics, including interpretive communication, fiscal oversight, and enrollment management. During breaks, participants can schedule private appointments with faculty. The event ends in a ceremony that marks the transitions of new presidents.

The 2017 academy will convene from July 31 to August 4 in San Diego. All presidents and chancellors appointed to office at their state college or university after September 2015 are eligible to attend.