WWU hires Earl F. Gibbons as new vice provost for Extended Education

Earl F. Gibbons has been appointed to serve as vice provost for Extended Education at Western Washington University, Provost Catherine Riordan announced today.

“I am delighted that Dr. Gibbons will lead our Extended Education unit. He is a seasoned professional with many accomplishments in the field and a keen sense of how to add value to Western through summer programs, conferences, and expanding access to Western’s quality academic programs,” Riordan said.

Gibbons, vice provost and associate vice president at the University of North Texas, will begin at Western on July 1. He was selected following a national search.

“I am excited to be joining Western Washington University at this critical time. The landscape of higher education is changing dramatically in Washington and around the nation. Extended Education is ideally suited to respond to new and evolving demands for access and innovative programming. Our mission is to serve all of the citizens of Washington; going forward that will mean developing new programs and introducing additional modes of delivery designed to meet the needs of students, business, and the community-at-large,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons received his master’s and doctorate degrees in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He has served as a tenured professor, academic dean and senior academic administrator. Gibbons has worked at the University of North Texas since 2003. Prior to that, he was vice provost for International and Educational Outreach at Eastern Washington University.

Gibbons also served as the dean of the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University, in Virginia, and as associate vice president – Overseas Programs, at Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Ariz. He is the co-author of a book, “The Almanac of Modern Terrorism,” and has authored numerous scholarly publications, presented papers at conferences and has been active in professional and community organizations.

In his position at Western, Gibbons will provide leadership for Extended Education, which collaborates with colleges, departments and the community, linking university resources with educational needs and opportunities both on and off campus. Extended Education was formerly known as Extended Education and Summer Programs.
For more information please see the EE website.