High school to be utilized for DSCC commencement

The Messenger 04.29.09
As in the past three years, Dyersburg State Community College will be holding its commencement exercises at Dyer County High School.
The 39th annual commencement will be held May 9 at 2 p.m. Degrees will be conferred on 265 candidates.
A reception to honor graduates and their guests will be held immediately following commencement.
Since DSCC’s first commencement in 1971, more than 5,000 students have graduated from Dyersburg State.
“As the college grows, so does the number participating in our commencement ceremony. Because of the large number of candidates and the guests who want to attend, the college must use the gymnasium at DCHS to seat everyone,” Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs J. Dan Gullett said.
This year, Dr. Richard Rhoda will serve as commencement speaker. He is the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, a post he has held since 1997. Since last July, he has also been the interim executive director of the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp.
He served previously with the Tennessee Board of Regents in numerous staff capacities, including chief academic officer and acting chancellor. While serving on the Regents staff, he also served as interim president of Nashville State Technical Community College and Austin Peay State University. He served earlier in the administration of Tennessee State University.
He has taught on the undergraduate and graduate levels at Vanderbilt University, where he continues as an adjunct professor.
Rhoda serves on a number of boards, including the Tennessee Board of Regents, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation Board of Directors, of which he is vice chair, and the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, which he chairs.
On the national level, he is active in the State Higher Education Executive Officers organization and the Education Commission of the States, which he serves as treasurer.
Rhoda holds a bachelor of arts degree in history, a master of arts degree in education and a PhD. in higher education administration, all from Vanderbilt University.

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