PARAMUS, N.J. (AUGUST 7, 2012) – The Bergen Community College Board of Trustees appointed Dr. B. Kaye Walter as the new president during a special meeting today.
Dr. Walter, who will become the seventh president of Bergen, will assume the office on Monday, August 13, 2012 after serving as Chancellor for Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana Region since November 2010. She has more than 15 years of experience in senior administrative positions in higher education.
“I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to work with the Bergen Community College faculty, staff, students, trustees and the community, as they continue to provide innovative programming and educational options at the highest standards for each student they serve,” Dr. Walter said. “I am most impressed with the quality of the faculty and staff and their commitment to students. I am looking forward to working in a collaborative environment with them as we strive to make Bergen the number one community college in the nation.”
Board Chairman E. Carter Corriston said the board found Dr. Walter’s accomplishments impressive.
“I and the board welcome Dr. Walter as our new president and we look forward to working with her to continue the progress and excellence of Bergen Community College,” Mr. Corriston said. “In appointing her, we took note of her excellent record and we anticipate great things going forward.”
In the Central Indiana region, the largest of 14 regions that make up Indiana’s Ivy Tech Community College system, Dr. Walter oversaw an institution of more than 32,000 students operating with more than 1,300 faculty and staff and a $71 million budget. Prior to joining Ivy Tech, Dr. Walter served as executive vice president and chief learning officer for Valencia Community College in central Florida, where she led the district’s four campuses and more than 63,000 students annually. She also oversaw faculty professional development, institutional research and institutional effectiveness. In addition, Dr. Walter served as vice president for academic services at Kansas City Kansas Community College, where she also served as Dean of Mathematics and the Sciences.
A native of Texas, she earned a doctorate in chemistry from Rice University in Houston, a master’s degree in divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo., and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Houston. Her academic career includes teaching general chemistry and organic chemistry while a professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College and as an instructor at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas.
Dr. Walter has collaborated on numerous publications and presentations on learning assessment, curriculum alignment, faculty development, international programming, and in her discipline, chemistry. She has garnered awards for teaching and leadership skills, including the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Teaching Excellence Award. She is the past chair of the Council of Instructional Affairs for Florida Community Colleges and previously served in a similar position in the state of Kansas. She performs community service and is actively engaged in many activities in the Indianapolis area.
“I believe that every student who walks through our door can achieve great things. I like to work collaboratively with faculty and staff to develop programs that will help every student reach their greatest potential,” Dr. Walter said. “I truly believe that partnering with the community we serve is essential, both because of the College’s role in workforce development and because the community knows what it truly needs.”
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 17,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.