WSSU Provost Graham names Dr. Montrale Boykin as the Interim Dean of the Graduate College
A Letter from Provost Anthony Graham:
After an internal search process, I am pleased to announce the interim appointment of Dr. Montrale Boykin as the interim Dean of the Graduate College effective December 1, 2022. Dr. Boykin’s appointment is for one year. We will conduct a national search for a permanent dean during the 2023 calendar year. Dr. Boykin previously served as the co-chairperson of the Department of Health Care Management in the School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University since 2012.
Reporting directly to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Boykin will serve as WSSU’s chief administrator for graduate programs. In this capacity, Dr. Boykin will have primary responsibility for (re)establishing the Graduate College as part of the University’s academic and business operation; thus, he will lead the effort to develop, manage, and improve the institutional infrastructure that promotes graduate education, graduate student and post-doctoral professionalization, and graduate student inquiry.
He will also work collaboratively with the Provost’s Office, academic deans, academic department chairpersons, faculty, graduate students, peer UNC institutions, and other stakeholders to construct a vision and mission for the Graduate College. Dr. Boykin will engage graduate program coordinators, university faculty, and graduate students to review current graduate policies and institutional processes to assess issues of inequity and inefficiency that hinder graduate student success.
Additionally, Dr. Boykin will partner with the Office of Sponsored Programs, the academic deans, and external agencies to assist faculty with procuring external funding that support graduate education, graduate student fellowships and assistantships, and graduate student professional development.
Dr. Boykin has previous experience growing graduate degree programs and supporting graduate student professionalization. As the co-chairperson of the Department of Health Care Management, Dr. Boykin worked collaboratively with his co-chairperson, Dr. Stephanie Joseph, and departmental faculty to increase graduate student enrollment in the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree program.
He also worked cooperatively with the UNC System and university employees to engage in innovative instructional methods for graduate students by implementing competency-based education while concurrently moving this degree program to an online course delivery modality. These bold steps supported degree program accessibility as the department experienced a 2,433% increase in student enrollment; moreover, these strategic initiatives yielded increases in the program’s degree efficiency and graduate student degree completion within the discipline area.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Montrale Boykin to his new role as the interim Dean of the Graduate College at Winston-Salem State University. We look forward to the significant impact that he will have on our graduate student success.
