2008 Woodie Awards
New administrators abound
Three new staff members are on campus to aid with programs
Andrew Ahrendt
- Page 1 of 1
Three new administrators have joined the ranks of the Western staff this year, each with plans to make the school a better learning environment.
Joining Western as the new Director of International Students and Scholars is Neng Yang, who arrived to campus on Sept. 1.
Yang, who is originally from China, worked as a professor for 10 years at Huaibei Teachers College in his home country. After coming to the United States, he attended several universities working up to his Ph.D., including Morehead State College, Indiana State College and Ohio University.
Current plans for the new director include contacting more international institutions so Western's student body can become more multi-cultural.
"In doing this we are bringing in more concepts, more culture to increase our globalization aspect," he said. He has set a three-year plan to raise Western's international-student population from 60 students to about 250.
New Director of Development is Randy Stockdale.
Stockdale came to Western on Sept. 15 from a management position with SEDCOR, an economic development group for Polk and Marion Counties. In the previous position, Stockdale was responsible for gaining funding for the promotion of local jobs.
Stockdale came to Western because of its "commitment to education," he said. He also has deep roots in nearby state capitol, Salem, and has spent five years on the Salem-Kaiser school board. Stockdale worked with West Salem High School and their Rotary Club in his past as well, helping raise $18,000 in scholarships.
Stockdale is currently working on getting to know Western's campus and its colleagues. Lately, he has been having meetings with various faculty members in an effort to spur ideas about bringing more funding opportunities to students.
He is looking forward to helping those who can't pay for college to get there. Stockdale said he doesn't want any student not to come to Western because "they can't afford it."
Dave McDonald joined Western's staff last week as the interim Dean of Enrollment and Student Services.
Previously, McDonald worked as the Recruitment and Tension Coordinator for the University of California Irvine and as the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School for the University of California San Diego. Since 1999, he has worked at the Oregon University System (OUS) as the Director of Enrollment and Student Services and the Director of Oregon GEARUP.
McDonald is excited to come to Western because it is "an incredibly exciting place," he said. He believes that the school has the best combination of students and faculty and that the size is great. He sees the faculty as one of the most committed to the students and is joyous to join their ranks.
One of McDonald's main goals is to see more students that start at Western complete graduation. He plans to enter a "partnership with high schools to make this happen," he said. Also, McDonald said, he aims to make everyone's experience at Western a meaningful one.