FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLATTNER NAMED ACE FELLOW

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., March 15, 2002 - Dr. Nancy Blattner, academic associate in the Office of the Provost and associate dean in the School of University Studies at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2002-2003 academic year.

The announcement was made recently by David Ward, president of the American Council on Education.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising faculty and senior administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Thirty-seven Fellows, nominated by the presidents or chancellors of their institutions, were selected this year in a national competition.

“Completing an ACE Fellowship will allow me to become completely immersed for a year in the enterprise of higher education,” Blattner said. “Having the opportunity to work closely with a president or an administrative team in a mentoring relationship will allow me to gain much knowledge and many skills that are relevant to my work here at Southeast. I am excited about broadening my views and cultivating my abilities while tackling projects of importance to my host institution.”

Dr. Pauline Fox, Southeast vice president for administration and enrollment management, and Dr. Jane Stephens, University provost, both have served as ACE Fellows in the past.

Dr. Marlene Ross, director of the Fellows Program, noted that most previous Fellows have advanced into major positions in academic administration. Of the nearly 1,350 participants in the first 37 years of the program, more than 250 have become chief executive officers and nearly 1,000 have become provosts, vice presidents or deans.

“We’re extremely pleased with the incoming class,” Ross said. “The individuals selected have demonstrated strong leadership ability. The Fellows Program will sharpen and enhance their leadership skills and prepare them to address issues of concern to the higher education community.”

In addition to serving as an academic associate in the Office of the Provost and associate dean in the School of University Studies, Blattner is a professor in the Southeast Department of English. She served as the director of the Writing Assessment program from her employment at Southeast in 1987 until 1999. Blattner recently provided leadership in the development of the University's strategic plan and in the assessment of its general education program. She is past president of Phi Kappa Phi honor society at Southeast and currently serves as the Regent on the Phi Kappa Phi national board of directors.

Each ACE Fellow will focus on an issue of concern to the nominating institution while spending the next academic year working with a college or university president and other senior officers at a host institution. The Fellow will be included in the highest level of decision making while participating in administrative activities and contributing to a Leadership Team exploring a project to benefit Southeast Missouri State University. During the program, Fellows will attend three week-long seminars on higher education issues organized by ACE, read extensively in the field, and engage in other activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenges and opportunities confronting higher education today and in the next century.

The American Council on Education is a comprehensive association of the nation’s colleges and universities dedicated to higher education issues and advocacy on behalf of quality higher education programs. Counted among the Council’s members are more than 1,800 accredited degree-granting public and private colleges and universities and higher education related associations, organizations and corporations.