We are an inclusive academic community committed to excellence in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. We advance intellectual and creative discovery through transformative learning experiences that positively impact our lives and communities.
Dr. Bob Kolvoord
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
A Message from the Interim Provost
Dear Colleagues,
I spent this morning splitting my time between attending the Board of Visitors meeting and speaking with potential new students at CHOICES. Each event offered an intriguing look into the role and perception of JMU beyond our campus. While I could never pick a favorite event, I was proud to hear how highly thought of our faculty and staff are. Your efforts are greatly appreciated, and I’m pleased to report even more of them here.
- According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, “JMU’s undergraduate program is among the best in the nation for devoting sufficient time to math pedagogy and the four math content areas.” The recently released 2025 Teacher Prep Review: Solving for Math Success grades our Education, Elementary education bachelor’s degree as an A+.
- For the second year in a row, the JMU Speech Team placed in the Top 20 teams in the nation, ending the season ranked 17. The team, comprised of undergraduates from a wide variety of majors, is housed in the School of Communication Studies and ably coached by director Dr. Mallory Marsh, assistant director Nathan Selove, M.A.
- Congratulations to Dr. Raktim Pal, professor of CIS/BSAN and holder of the Kirby L. Cramer Chair in Business Administration. Along with his co-author, he was the winner of the "Best Contribution to Theory Award" at a recent conference hosted by the Northeast Decision Sciences Institute. The award recognized their paper titled "A Comparative Look into Coping and Other Organizational Theories to Explain Organizational Resilience."
- JMU is helping to shape the future of international education. The Center for Global Engagement just hosted a successful Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) Thematic Forum. AIEA is the professional organization dedicated exclusively to senior leaders in the field of international education, and they chose JMU to host over 40 of its members from universities across the country for sessions on building capacity for global operation. Feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting they were impressed by the forum’s content as well as by JMU’s role as a host.
Keep those teaching and scholarship highlights, awards, and other accomplishments for you and your colleagues coming! You can email provost@jmu.edu anytime.
Sincerely,
Bob
Have Question for the Provost?
Academic Affairs faculty and staff can use the options below to contact the provost directly.
This is an open line of communication allowing faculty and staff to ask questions, but it is not a substitute from the crucial interactions they have with their academic unit head, department head and dean.
Students should contact AcademicQuestions@jmu.edu with questions.
