Feb. 4, 2015. On Thursday, Jan. 29, Lees-McRae College named Dr. Todd Lidh as Provost. Dr. Lidh was most recently the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He will begin his duties on July 1, 2015.
“I am honored and excited to join the Lees-McRae family,” said Dr. Lidh. “I have been so impressed by everyone I have met and spoken with — students, faculty, staff, administration — and I am eager to contribute to the College’s continuing success. As Provost, my primary goals will be to foster meaningful communication and to help create the environment for everyone’s growth and development. I look forward to starting that good work in the very near future.”
Dr. Lidh comes to Lees-McRae with more than fifteen years of university administration experience in addition to more than fourteen years of experience in the classroom. Having earned bachelor’s degrees in English and foreign language from Troy University and a master’s degree in English from Georgetown University, Dr. Lidh came to the research triangle of North Carolina to pursue his PhD in English at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As Lees-McRae looks to the next phase of its revitalization, Dr. Lidh will be instrumental in the continued oversight and development of the College’s academic offerings. His past successes include implementing a university-wide first-year experience program, overseeing a university writing center, launching multiple student support centers, developing six new courses and continuing to regularly conduct research and publish scholarly work.
In many capacities as a university administrator, Dr. Lidh focused his expertise on issues of retention. While chair of the English department at Flagler College he increased enrollment by 25% and, similarly, at The Catholic University of America his first-year experience program increased retention in second- and third-year cohorts by 10%, collectively.
A testament to his dedication to academics, Dr. Lidh was named Flagler’s best professor in 2002 and also named “An Outstanding Teacher” by the Flagler Student Government Association in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
“We are honored and blessed to welcome Todd and his loved ones to the Lees-McRae family,” said President Barry M. Buxton ’11H. “His extensive experience in university administration combined with his passion for collaboration will be a perfect complement to the expertise of our faculty and staff, and the dynamics of our student body.”
As the Provost, Dr. Lidh will provide strategic leadership for all academic areas of the College and work with faculty on all curricular matters including strengthening existing programs and strategically developing new programs. Division chairs will report directly to the Provost.
Dr. Kacy Crabtree, the current Vice President of Academic Affairs, will assume the role of Associate Provost on July 1 and report to the Provost.
For more information about Lees-McRae College, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828.898.5241.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. With 950 students hailing from 31 states and territories and more than 8 foreign countries, Lees-McRae’s broad core curriculum is enhanced by field-specific career preparation and experiential learning.
You must be logged in to post a comment.