Albany, N.Y. (July 27, 2011) – Excelsior College has named Dr. Mary Beth Hanner as provost and chief academic officer of the regionally-accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution. Dean of Assessment Patrick Jones has been promoted to the position of vice provost.

As chief academic officer, Dr. Hanner oversees curriculum, online instruction, and faculty within each of Excelsior’s four schools: the School of Liberal Arts, School of Business and Technology, School of Health Sciences, and School of Nursing. Dr. Jones will assist Dr. Hanner with a primary focus on student services and student success.

  "With over 140,000 graduates, Excelsior has made historic strides in providing quality higher education opportunities to adult learners across the globe," said Dr. Hanner. "I humbly look forward to working with President John Ebersole, the board of trustees, the faculty, and the entire staff to continue to live up to our mission of providing access to those historically underrepresented in higher education."

Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Hanner served as interim provost. For four years previous, she served as vice president for outcomes assessment and institutional research, where she led Excelsior College initiatives for measuring student learning outcomes in learning assessment and competency-based education.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina with a Master of Public Health degree, Dr. Hanner earned her Ph.D (gerontology focus) from the University of Texas. She formerly served as Excelsior’s dean of the School of Nursing and vice president for the School of Health Sciences.

As dean of assessment, Dr. Patrick Jones was responsible for leading 29 staff and 200 faculty members. His work involved directing day-to-day academic assessment activities, including managing the development, administration, scoring, and external recognition of Excelsior College® Examinations, UExcel® exams, and portfolio assessment.

Dr. Jones received his Ph.D in Measurement, Evaluation, and Applied Statistics from Columbia University in 1987.

"I’ve dedicated the past decade of my life to Excelsior College, and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve the institution as vice provost," said Dr. Jones. "Through visionary leadership and the hard work of our staff, Excelsior is arguably the most respected and recognized distance learning institution in the country. I intend to work to ensure we remain the most innovative as well."

"Both Dr. Hanner and Dr. Jones have served Excelsior College admirably, helping to transform the institution into one of the nation’s leaders in online higher education and a pioneer in distance learning technology and assessment," said Excelsior College President Dr. John F. Ebersole. "Under their continued leadership, we will strengthen and progress in our mission to expand quality educational opportunities for the underserved."