Vice chancellor for Student
Affairs candidates to visit

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

s the searches for a vice chancellor for Research and a dean of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences continue, four candidates for vice chancellor of Student Affairs and Campus Life are scheduled to visit campus over the next few weeks.

     The first candidate, Gregory S. Blimling, vice chancellor for student development at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., is slated to be on campus April 22-23. An open meeting for faculty, staff and students to question Blimling will be held Wednesday, April 23 from 4-5 p.m. in 168C Lincoln Campus Center.

     He will be followed by Naomi T. Johnson, vice president for student affairs at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, on April 28-29. Her open meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28, 3:45-4:45 p.m. in 168C Campus Center.

     Two other candidates will arrive early next month. The dates and locations of their open forums will be announced as the arrangements are finalized.

     Michael Gargano, associate vice president for student and academic support services at George Washington University, will visit May 1-2.

     Njeri Nuru-Holm, vice president for student affairs and minority affairs at Cleveland State University, will be on campus May 7-8.

     Since 1990, Blimling has been in his current position at Appalachian State, a residential campus with about 12,500 students. As vice chancellor for student development, he oversees student health services, counseling and psychological services, financial aid, housing and residence life, career development, student judicial affairs, recreational sports and leisure activities, a recreation center, electronic student services, substance abuse education, Greek affairs, volunteer student programs, outdoor education programs, student life and learning research, student media, a women's center, multicultural center, wellness center, center for student involvement and leadership, testing services and the Appalachian Child Development Center.

     Blimling is also a tenured professor in the departments of human development and psychological counseling and leadership and educational studies.

     Between 1978-90, he served as associate dean of students, then dean of students at Louisiana State University. Prior to that, he was assistant director of residence life at Western Illinois University and a hall director at Bowling Green State University.

     Blimling has a Ph.D. in educational policy and leadership in higher education and college student personnel work from Ohio State University.

     Johnson is now in her sixth year at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, which has 7,500 students.

     As vice president for student affairs, Johnson serves on the president's executive council and is the senior officer in charge when the president is away. She is responsible for budgets totaling $14 million and 125 faculty and staff. Johnson is also responsible for residence halls and serves as academic dean regarding faculty appointments, promotion and tenure.

     Student affairs at Edinboro encompasses counseling and psychological services, health services, office of students with disabilities, residential life and housing, student judicial affairs, multicultural programs, campus ministry, student government association, student activities, campus police, non-traditional students program and athletics. Enrollment management and retention, which includes admissions, financial aid, registration and scheduling and career services, reports indirectly to Johnson.

     Prior to joining Edinboro, Johnson held several student affairs posts at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Humboltdt State University.

     Johnson has a Ph.D. in higher education from Arizona State University.

     For the past 15 years, Gargano has been associated with George Washington University, which has an undergraduate enrollment of 9,500 and 11,000 graduate students.

     He began in 1988 as assistant athletic director for external affairs and in 1993 was named special assistant to the vice president for student and academic support services and executive director of summer orientation. In 1997-98, he served as executive director of the student activities center, then was named assistant vice president for student and academic support services. Gargano was appointed to his current post in 2001.

     His primary responsibility is the management and oversight of admissions, financial aid, campus life, intercollegiate athletics, intramural and recreation, police, student health, counseling center, housing, international student services, multicultural student services, disability support services, career center, alumni relations, dean of students, parent services and the university club. The division of student affairs and academic support services has 450 full-time staff and an annual budget of $113 million.

     Before starting at GW, Gargano was director of advancement for athletics at the University of Rhode Island and held several athletic posts at the University of Hartford.
He received his Ed.D. in higher education at George Washington University in 2001.

     Neru-Holm was appointed vice president for student affairs and minority affairs last year after Cleveland State merged the two divisions. She had been vice president for minority affairs and community relations at the school since 1992. She simultaneously served as vice provost for student affairs since 1996.

     Cleveland State has nearly 16,000 students and the student affairs and minority affairs division includes student life programs, services and organizations, student media, campus activities, health services, counseling and testing, mentoring, disability services, academic advising, developmental education and tutoring, English as a second language, pre-college programs, Upward Bound, Black Male Initiative, diversity management, and programs and initiatives related to multicultural and diversity issues.

     Neru-Holm is also a tenured professor in speech and hearing.

     From 1987-92, she was dean of the school of communication at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

     Between 1979-83, she held associate dean positions in the school of communication at Ho-ward University, also in Washington, D.C. From 1979-87, she was a graduate associate professor at Howard.

     Neru-Holm has written about 20 articles published in journals and other publications.
She has a Ph.D. in audiology from the University of Maryland.