Graduate School

The Graduate School is one of the academic colleges and schools at Old Dominion University (ODU). The Graduate School oversees the development of all the graduate courses at ODU. The school was established in July 2016 and is currently housed in Monarch Hall.

History

While the Graduate School was established in 2016, graduate programs at ODU go back to the 1960s. In March 1963, shortly after Old Dominion became an independent institution, the Board of Visitors’ Education Committee approved the decision to pursue master’s degrees in Elementary Education, History, Business Administration, and English. The committee also suggested the creation of a Graduate Council to assist the Board of Visitors in selection and establishment of future graduate programs. As of August 1963, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), approved the graduate programs to begin in September 1964. The first master’s degrees were awarded during the June 1966 Commencement exercises. Margaret Simmons, the first African American to graduate from ODU, received her Master of English degree in June 1966. In July 1970, Charles Burgess, professor of English, became the first Dean of the Graduate Studies. In September 1972, the School of Engineering became the first school to offer a doctoral degree at ODU. D.K. Patel, originally from India, received the first doctorate from ODU (engineering) in 1975.

The Office of Graduate Studies was created around 1974. In 1981, the School of Graduate Studies was dissolved as a separate administrative entity and the role of dean was updated to Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies. The deans of the schools were responsible for the operation of the graduate programs in their respective schools.

In 2002, the Office of Research and Graduate Studies was established and an Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies was created with Janis Sanchez-Hucles as the acting associate vice president. In 2016, the Graduate School was created with Robert Wojtowicz serving as the dean.

Deans

1970- 1972: Charles Burgess

1972-1973: Charles E. Bell, Jr., Acting Dean

1973-1976: Stanley E. Rauch

1976-1981: David R. Hager

1982-2001: *No Dean

2002-2003: Janis Sanchez-Hucles, Acting Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies

2003-2010: Phillip J. Langlais, Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President for Research (2003-2005); Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research (2005-2010)

2010-2014: Brenda Neumon Lewis, Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies

2014-Present: Robert Wojtowicz, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Studies (2014-2016), Dean of the Graduate School (2016-present)

Resources

1. School of Graduate Studies Records, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
2. Old Dominion University Catalogs, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.

References

1. Old Dominion University Faculty and Staff Directories, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
2. Board of Visitors Records, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.