College of The Albemarle (COA) announces the appointment of Dr. Dean Roughton to the position of Vice President of Institutional Research, Planning, Effectiveness and Technology. Dr. Roughton began working in this new position on Monday, Nov. 2.

Dr. Roughton has worked in higher education for more than two decades and has been employed with COA since 2006. First hired as an English instructor, Dr. Roughton has also served as a department chair, division chair, and most recently as Dean, Arts and Sciences for the past six years. In his new role, Dr. Roughton will oversee the College’s research and data division, as well as the information technology department. His duties will include conducting evaluations of the effectiveness of all campus programs and departments and overseeing college-wide strategic planning and assessment. He will also serve as the College’s liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the College’s regional accreditation agency.

Dr. Roughton earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA; a Master of Arts in English from North Carolina State University in Raleigh; and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. In addition to degrees earned, Dr. Roughton completed the North Carolina Community College System Leadership Program in 2014 and was named a Fulbright Scholar by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2018.

‘As a longtime employee of College of The Albemarle, I am excited and thankful for this advancement opportunity,” stated Dr. Roughton. “My selection for this position is a great illustration of COA’s strategic investment in its employees. I look forward to serving the college and community in this new, greater capacity.”