Three Key Administrators Promoted in the Center for Continuing Education
Vice President and Academic Dean Adrienne Israel announced promotions for three key administrators in the Center for Continuing Education (CCE), in recognition of the growing scope and impact of the adult programs at Guilford College.
Rita Serotkin was promoted to associate vice president and dean for continuing education and summer school and Martee Holt and Jackie Smith were promoted to assistant dean positions, effective in January.
“These promotions are in recognition of the extensive relationships these administrators have developed and sustained in the College and wider communities,” Israel said, “and they more accurately reflect the increased level of responsibility taken on over the past several years.
“Rita and her team have expanded services to adult students—comparable to those provided traditional students—to include a robust student retention initiative, strengthened recruiting and advising efforts and more effectively marketed the program throughout the region,” she added.
“Their promotions signify the expansion of their roles as members of our community and the fact that their work parallels the duties of others in similar staff offices in other campus units,” she said.
As associate vice president, Serotkin will continue to provide leadership in strategic planning, budgeting and marketing for all credit and noncredit continuing education programs and will continue to report directly to the vice president and academic dean.
Under Serotkin’s leadership:
- Guilford set an all-time headcount record of 1,322 adults in spring 2010, and adult headcount has hovered at near-record levels for several years. In addition, persistence and retention rates have improved.
- Guilford’s adult students have a five-year graduation rate exceeding 50 percent, compared to the national average of 25 percent. This reflects Serotkin’s mantra for adult student success: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
- Articulation agreements between Guilford and community colleges in the Triad have been created or strengthened—giving more graduates of those schools an opportunity for a four-year degree.
In May 2010, Serotkin secured a $100,000 grant from The Council of Independent Colleges and Wal-Mart for a new “Gateways” program supporting adult-student counseling, mentoring and specific academic courses to address learning gaps.
Serotkin was appointed dean for continuing education and director of summer school in October 2006 after serving six years as assistant director and instructor in Widener University’s Center for Education.
She was an administrator and adjunct instructor for 13 years at Mercer County (N.J.) Community College. She earned a doctorate in higher education from Widener, a master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Douglass College (N.J.).
Holt has served as associate director of CCE since 2001 and was interim dean in 2006. She joined the College as an admission counselor in the Center for Continuing Education in 1996 and has worked as an instructor, counselor and administrator at Guilford, the University of Memphis and Western Kentucky University. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from Western Kentucky University.
Smith has served as director of marketing and recruitment for CCE since last year. She joined the College in September 2007 as a part-time instructor and has worked as associate director for marketing and recruitment and assistant director for corporate and community development. Prior to Guilford, she held administrative positions at Sara Lee Corp. and Sara Lee Food Group for 11 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., and a master’s degree from the University of Memphis.
