Dr. Bryan Coker, vice president and dean of students at Maryland’s Goucher College, will be the 12th president of Maryville College, it was announced Feb. 13. His term will begin July 1, 2020.
A native of Western North Carolina, Dr. Coker holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rhodes College, a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He is a 2018 graduate of the CIC- and AASCU-sponsored Executive Leadership Academy.
Dr. Coker is finishing his seventh year at Goucher, a nationally ranked liberal arts college in Baltimore, Md., where he is responsible for a large and diverse portfolio of student affairs areas, including athletics, campus safety, dining services, and a nationally ranked equestrian program. He led the creation of the school’s Center for Race, Equity, and Identity, and has provided leadership for more than $100 million in capital improvement projects. He also has assisted Goucher’s President and Advancement staff in fundraising for the school’s $100 million Goucher Undaunted capital campaign and helped create innovative partnerships with businesses and organizations in Maryland. During the summer of 2019, he was tapped by Goucher’s Board of Trustees to serve as acting president during a transition period. In that time, he conducted comprehensive reviews of departments and restructured the college’s senior staff.
Prior to Goucher, Dr. Coker served as Dean of Students for Jacksonville (Fla.) University for 10 years and as Director of Student Judicial Affairs at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville for four years. Since January of 2017, Dr. Coker has served as an affiliated faculty member in the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State, a historically black public university in Baltimore. He is a Peer Evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has served on accreditation teams for three colleges. A lifelong Presbyterian, he is an ordained elder and liturgist at Towson Presbyterian Church. He is married to Rhodes classmate Sara Barnette Coker, and they have four children.
Read the press release and see a video message on the MC website. You can also follow Dr. Coker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@maryvillecollegepresident).
Important Dates and Deadlines
Be sure to check out our online calendar for parents and families to see important dates and deadlines for March!
Campus Response to COVID-19
A memoregarding the campus response to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) was distributed March 3 to MC students, faculty and staff.
Commencement Information
For families of graduating seniors, the big day (May 2) is quickly approaching. Find more information on the Maryville College website!
Academics: Mid-Semester Grades
Surprisingly, the spring semester is already halfway over! Last week, your student received a mid-semester grade for each class that reflects their current efforts for all graded work to this date. May I suggest that you take this opportunity to check in with them about their grades and any plans needed for improvement?
Faculty advisors have also received reports of low mid-term grades and will be addressing any concerns with their advisees. If your student received a grade of C- or lower on the mid-term report, encourage your student to meet with their advisor and professors, attend scheduled group study sessions, and complete any outstanding assignments. Because grades for finals and some other semester-long assignments are not complete until the end of the semester, mid-term grades rarely represent half of all possible credit in a course. That means there is still substantial opportunity for students to improve course grades. A bad mid-term grade does not have to mean a bad final grade.
Additionally, the Academic Support Center provides a wide variety of services, from tutoring and other forms of learning support, to disability accommodations for students with documented needs. If your student is looking for academic help, suggest to them that a visit to the Academic Support Center could be part of the solution.
Over the years, we’ve found that the encouragement of parents and families makes a real difference in helping students who have suffered academic setbacks to get back on track, finish the semester strong, and get more out of their time in College.
Academics: Undergraduate Research
Maryville College will hold its fifth annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on Fri., April 3 from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. During the event, students from all eight academic divisions will present posters, original research and creative projects in various locations inside the Clayton Center for the Arts. Watch the MC website for more details!
Student Affairs: Spring Break Closures
Residence halls close for Spring Break at 9 p.m. on Fri., March 13 and will reopen at 1 p.m. on Sun., March 22. Students who need to stay in their residence hall rooms during this period were required to submit a break housing request by March 2. Students may incur a $15/night charge for being allowed to stay on campus during the break.
Academics: May Term, Summer Courses and Online Courses
Online registration for May Term and Summer Term 2020 courses begins March 26, and students are encouraged to begin making plans to enroll in general education or major-specific courses, including some that are offered online. Read more about these courses on the Maryville College website!
Registrar's Office: Important Deadlines
March 10 is the last day to drop a course with a non-punitive grade of “W.” Online registration for May Term 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 classes will begin on March 26. Students will register by class level and will find their registration window start time on Self-Service. Students must meet with an advisor prior to registration and must have a completed fall schedule before leaving campus for the summer.
Summer school is a good way to catch up or get ahead on credit hours and/or course requirements! Students can register online for summer courses through June 1. See the summer 2020 course schedule on the MC website. Students who are planning to take summer classes elsewhere need pre-approval to do so. They should process the Transfer Credit Pre-Approval Form, which requires an advisor and division or core chair approval and is kept on file in the Registrar’s Office until the official transcript is received from the other school.
Great Smokies Experience
Registration is now open for MC’s Great Smokies Experience summer program, a one-of-a-kind, credit-bearing, introductory college experience for rising high school juniors and seniors, as well as recent high school graduates. This year’s program will take place July 16-27 on campus and at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you know anyone who would be a good fit for this program, please send them this information!
Student Affairs: Summer Housing
Summer 2020 rooms will be available from May 4 through August move-in. Applications for priority assignments are due March 31. Students need to notify the Residence Life Office if they need housing between those dates. If students need housing between spring finals and May 4, they will stay in their current room and may be given a date/time to move to their summer housing. Please visit the “Summer Housing” section of the “Housing Applications” page for details.
Academics: Academic Awards Ceremony
The annual Academic Awards Ceremony recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of Maryville College students. The ceremony is a formal affair with faculty, in academic regalia, and students seated on the stage. The academic dean, Dr. Dan Klingensmith, presides, and academic division chairs present awards in their respective disciplines. In addition to individual academic awards, students are also recognized for membership in several academic honor societies. One senior, from among five nominees, is named the Alumni Association Outstanding Senior. This year’s ceremony will take place on Sat., April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre. Invitations are sent to students receiving awards; however, students do not know which award they will receive until the night of the ceremony.
Advancement: Tartan Tuesday 2020
Tartan Tuesday 2020, Maryville College’s fifth college-wide day of giving, is scheduled for March 30-31, 2020. For 1,819 minutes, alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends will come together to give back and invest in the success of Maryville College. On Tartan Tuesday, you can play a critical role in shaping the Maryville College experience. That’s why we’re challenging donors to make 725 gifts to MC before midnight on March 31. Meeting this challenge will help us secure $125,000 in challenge gifts from an anonymous group of donors. For more information, please visit the Tartan Tuesday website or contact Meghan Fagg-Smith ‘10, Director of Annual Giving, at 865.981.8191 or by email.
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