A Message from the President

May 12, 2020

 

Appointment of the New Vice President for Student Affairs

 

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Demetrius Johnson as our new vice president for student affairs. Dr. Johnson brings a broad breadth and depth of experiences to lead the Division of Student Affairs in support of student development. He will begin his new role on June 15.

I look forward to having Dr. Johnson join the senior leadership team and help to guide the university toward a bright future as we continue our Racing to Excellence strategic plan.

I would like to thank College of Arts and Sciences Dean George Acquaah for his leadership throughout the national search and the entire search committee for their outstanding work in bringing forward such high-caliber candidates for the position. I also want to thank Dr. April Johnson for serving as acting vice president for student affairs during the transition in leadership.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Johnson to Bowie State University. He brings a depth of experiences in student development, crisis prevention, residence life, judicial affairs, emergency management, policy development, student support services and student retention to effectively guide enhancement of our Student Affairs programs.

Dr. Johnson excels in creating partnerships with faculty, working to increase enrollment, executing new initiatives and driving student and organizational success. His background includes focused work with a variety of student populations, including commuters, students of color, veterans, international students and first-generation students. As an educator focused on student outcomes, he has worked to deepen the student experience and drive student success throughout his career.

“I am honored and excited to join the Bowie State University family. I am very eager to begin working with the faculty, staff, and students,” he said. “Most urgently, I will focus on finding ways to know and support students. Bowie State University is well positioned to continue changing and transforming the lives of students. I am excited to join this effort and serve the students of BSU.”

He most recently served as associate vice president for student engagement and earlier as the dean of student success at Marymount University, where he helped improve the six-year retention rate through innovative programs and services. He developed campus-wide learning outcomes and a co-curricular transcript, as well as expanded the Career Services programs to increase the number of students who landed internships and jobs.

He was also the dean of student affairs/director of residential life at Dillard University, where he helped to increase the residential population, boost the number of student organizations and implemented a new student leadership training and recruitment program. As the director of the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Iowa and the assistant site director for several master’s degree programs at Troy State University, he increased new student enrollment through targeted recruitment and improved the overall student experience through specialized engagement efforts.

Dr. Johnson holds a doctorate of management in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix, a master’s degree in college student personnel from Western Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Augustana College. In spring 2021, he will complete a Doctor of Philosophy in leadership and organizational behavior from the University of the Cumberlands.