 |
|
Dr. Andrew "Drew" Koch joined the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education in September 2010 as the Vice President for New Strategy, Development, and Policy Initiatives. In addition to serving as an advisor to campuses that are conducting Foundations of Excellence self-studies, Dr. Koch will work closely with the Gardner Institute’s staff and external stakeholders from colleges and universities, foundations, and policy organizations to develop and facilitate strategic efforts that are shown to measurably transform and enhance undergraduate learning and success.
Koch is a proven higher education leader with measurable successes in both public and private postsecondary education. During his near twenty-year career, Koch has garnered substantive experience with undergraduate education administration, strategic planning, fund raising, and enrollment management. Between 1998 and 2010, he applied this experience to help Purdue University increase first-to-second year retention and six-year graduation rates by more than seven and six percentage points respectively – record highs for the institution.
From 1992 through 1994, Koch served as Assistant to the Dean of Summer College at the University of Richmond. In 1995, Koch moved to Hofstra University, where he worked with faculty and staff to start and/or enhance an array of programs for first-year students as the Associate Dean and Director of Freshman Advancement. Koch transitioned to Purdue University in 1998, where he recently concluded his tenure as the founding Director of that institution’s nationally recognized Student Access, Transition, and Success Programs department.
During his time at Purdue, Koch launched, led, and/or collaborated on an array of measurably successful student access and success initiatives including the institution’s academic advising, common reading, early warning and intervention, first-generation and low-income student support, first-year seminars, gateway course support, honors student support, learning communities, orientation, pre-college preparation and access, and summer bridge efforts. In addition, Koch helped shape the institution’s New Synergies strategic plan as a member of several leadership teams associated therewith, and he served as a steering committee member for the University’s recently concluded successful Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation process. In addition, Koch contributed to the construction and execution of the University’s $304 million Access and Success fund raising campaign.
Koch is skilled at procuring and managing grants and securing sponsorships, with funding coming from sources such as Lilly Endowment, Lumina Foundation for Education, the National Science Foundation, Caterpillar Inc., and Target. In addition to his fund raising acumen, he is the author of over a dozen publications pertaining to student success, including the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions of The First-Year Experience in American Higher Education: An Annotated Bibliography, published by The National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Student in Transition. His research interests include the university in corporate and martial cultural contexts, the first-year experience in higher education, the undergraduate experience in higher education, sport and culture in the United States, and other areas germane to U.S. culture and education.
Dr. Koch has served as an expert on student access and success for various media sources including NBC Nightly News (see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/32634348#32634348) and University Business (see: http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewpage.aspx?pagename=staticpage/webinar/sungard20100525.htm).
He has served on several boards and commissions including the Indiana College Access and Success Network which he co-founded and co-chaired; the Directorate Board for the American College Personnel Association Commission on Admissions, Orientation, and the First-Year Experience; the National Advisory Board for the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition; and the College Board’s 2010 National Forum Planning Committee.
Koch holds a B.A. in History and German and an M.A. in History from the University of Richmond, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from Purdue University. He, his wife, Dr. Sara Stein Koch, and their children reside in West Lafayette, Indiana.
To contact Drew, email him at koch@jngi.org or call 765-838-8025.