James March-April 2024 online - Flipbook - Page 69
Dr. John Fuchko, who was serving as
president of Columbus State University
last year, was named to head Dalton
State University. Previous to that he
served as the University System of
Georgia’s chief audit officer and vice
chancellor for internal audit, which
included responsibility for 25 campus
audit shops. He also oversaw USG’s
compliance program and the development of USG’s ethics policy.
A decorated colonel in the Georgia
Army National Guard, Fuchko commands the 122nd Regiment (Regional
Training Institute). His two decades of
service have included roles such as battalion commander for the 221st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion
and two deployments to the Middle
East. The Georgia native holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from
Kennesaw State University, earned an
MBA at Georgia State University and a
master’s degree in strategic intelligence
at the National Intelligence University.
He also holds a doctorate in education
from the University of Georgia.
He and his wife, Sherie, have 12
toddler-to college-aged children.
Phil Kent After you assumed the
presidency, news broke that Dalton
State was more highly recommended
by its students than any other college
in the South in a survey for the Wall
Street Journal/College Pulse 2024 Best
Colleges in the U.S. ranking. Considering this good news, what are your degree offerings and what is your vision
for future campus progress?
Dr. John Fuchko We are an insti-
tution on the move. We offer seven
associate and 24 bachelor’s degree
programs in high demand career
fields that are responsive to regional
workforce needs. Our main campus is
located just off I-75, and our mountain
campus is in Ellijay with easy access
from Highway 515 and I-575.
Businesses and the population
along these corridors are growing
quickly, and our programs and enrollment are poised to grow as well. Early
indicators for this spring’s enrollment
show 10 percent growth over last year,
following an eight percent enrollment
growth in the fall semester over the
previous year.
Perhaps most importantly, we are
producing graduates who can think
across all dimensions of an issue to
develop solutions; they are thoughtful,
competent leaders you want running
local organizations and serving in your
community. I am proud of the role Dalton State plays in this region and that
students are attracted to the opportunities we provide.
I think partnerships will play a significant role in ensuring the success of
our communities, region, and the current and future students we serve. To
partner effectively, we will build on a
campus culture that already values listening to and supporting our business
community, education, healthcare,
and those organizations dedicated to
improving the quality of life for everyone in the region. One of our critical
roles is to support these organizations
through producing graduates that can
immediately add value regardless of
whether they are teaching in the K-12
classroom, tending to patients, serving
in a business or otherwise actively
contributing to our society.
now is on making the best use of the
space we have. While ensuring that
our facilities are serving our academic
programs, we are thinking creatively
about scheduling courses throughout
the day, evening and online to serve
traditional students and adult learners across northwest Georgia. As we
grow, we will use data to guide future
infrastructure needs.
PK One of your goals involves further
strategizing about economic competitiveness and community development.
How does Dalton State help build the
surrounding community and workforce
by creating future engaged citizens?
JF It is imperative that we help stu-
dents develop the skills to be engaged
citizens who contribute to their communities. We provide more than 1,800
experiential learning opportunities
beyond the classroom each year; these
are resume-building experiences with
organizations and businesses in our region that help them develop the skills
and abilities to be successful.
In addition, we are partnering with
the Greater Dalton Chamber and other
PK Over the past decade $70 million
has been invested in buildings and
renovations. Specifically, what are the
plans for anticipating student growth
and future building projects and/or
renovations?
JF We are very grateful for the state
support over the past several years
that has allowed us to renovate and
update most of our buildings; this is a
good use of state resources. Our focus
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