(BLUEFIELD)–Dr. Thomas Blevins has been selected as Interim President at Bluefield State College, effective July 1. He succeeds, on an interim basis, Dr. Robert Moore, whose resignation as BSC President takes effect June 30.

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC), at its June 21, meeting, approved the recommended appointment by the BSC Board of Governors of Dr. Blevins. A committee appointed by the College's governing board is in the process of conducting a presidential search.

Dr. Blevins serves as Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Technology/WVHEPC and has been involved in the development of policy issues related to the West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET) and distance learning.

At Bluefield State, he serves as the institution's Chief Technology Officer, Director of the Instructional Technology Center and Center for Extended Learning, Director for Academic Computing and Computer Services, and as a Professor of English and Education. The College's Teacher Education program was awarded national (NCATE) accreditation while he served as its chair in 1994.

A career educator, Dr. Blevins brings a breadth of experience to the position. "One of the reasons I applied (for the Interim Presidency)," he noted, "was that my work with the state's Higher Education Policy Commission, coupled with my involvement at the college-level as a member of the President's Administrative Staff, has given me an appreciation for the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in West Virginia."

Blevins projects that he will focus much of his attention upon responding to a resolution, recently passed by the Legislative Oversight Committee on Educational Affairs (LOCEA), that considers several issues, including BSC's future role in state higher education. "The resolution is a time-sensitive issue that will have moved forward somewhat by the time a new president comes aboard," he continued.

"The College's Board will issue my ‘marching orders,'" he said. "On one hand, I will carry out those orders. On the other hand, I will share my 25 years' experience here and my understanding of the state higher education system and how it operates."

A BSC graduate (class of 1971), Blevins has been employed at the College for more than a quarter-century. "I've been a member of the classified staff, faculty, and administrative level, and I've been blessed by the experience," he added. "I'm interested in so many aspects of higher education and I want to add to my knowledge base. Through my responsibilities in Charleston, I have a vision of where the state is going, and an appreciation of what can be done at BSC in the short run to prepare for a new president."