January 8th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
Dr. Artie Lee Travis has been named Frostburg State University’s new vice president for Student Affairs. Travis comes to Frostburg from Bowie State University, where he has been vice president for Student Affairs since 2006.
Prior to his tenure at Bowie, he served in senior student affairs leadership positions at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., and in other student affairs roles at Furman University in South Carolina, University of Maryland College Park and Western Illinois University.
“Dr. Travis brings a wealth of experience to this position, and Frostburg State University will benefit greatly from his knowledge and insight,” said Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk, FSU president. “Dr. Travis’ commitment to student development and student success is impressive and will serve Frostburg’s students well.”
“I’m looking forward to joining Frostburg’s team and helping the students themselves create an environment in which they will be successful,” Travis said. “I want them to have a good living environment and excellent opportunities inside and outside the classroom, engaging with people across the campus.”
Travis identified some top priorities for his initial focus. They include creating a top-notch residential living experience, not only in the new building now under construction, but also in all the existing sites. He also wants to create a valuable experience for the University’s commuter population so they do not feel compelled just to leave at the end of each day. He intends to ensure that wellness and counseling services are high quality. And he wants to ensure that there is an enriching student leadership experience that will prepare them to enter a diverse world.
“Diversity and inclusion are very key to student success. Students will graduate and transition into very diverse workplaces, and this is where they will prepare,” Travis said. “Throughout my student affairs career, I have been intentional in making sure co-curricular experiences celebrate diversity and inclusion. As students, they can learn to live it, they learn to celebrate it and learn how to think about it.”
He views a campus as a laboratory, a place where students can explore, learning that they are responsible for their own success and will be held accountable.
He also intends that, from their entry to their exit from FSU, every time students encounter the Division of Student Affairs, they will be served by quality, dedicated professionals.
Travis earned a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science/public administration from Western Illinois University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Germany prior to attending college.
For more information about FSU’s Division of Student Affairs, visit www.frostburg.edu/about-frostburg/student-affairs.
Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.
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