10-21-2024 9:21am

RVCC Names Inaugural Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Donnella Tilery Editor

Darren Smith of Bridgewater has been named the inaugural Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Raritan Valley Community College.

In this role, Smith will support strategic leadership, oversight, and management of the College's ongoing assessment, institutional research, use of data, and institutional effectiveness. He also will serve as RVCC’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and will assist with such areas as collegewide resource and budget allocation and the creation of strategic and master plans.

“We are excited to welcome Darren Smith to Raritan Valley Community College as RVCC’s first Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. With his wealth of experience in higher education, particularly in the community college sector, he will be an invaluable addition to the College. His expertise in such areas as assessment and accreditation will be a tremendous asset to RVCC,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

Smith, who began working at RVCC last month, previously served as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Valencia College in Orlando, FL. He also has been an Education Policy Fellow with the University of North Carolina System Office and was the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Sampson Community College in Clinton, NC.

While at Sampson Community College, Smith was responsible for such areas as accreditation, planning, grants, institutional research, and assessment. At the UNC system office, his work involved system-level institutional research and analytical projects, as well as support for the strategic-planning process for the entire system. His main focus at Valencia College included strategic planning, assessment, and accreditation, and he served as Valencia’s accreditation liaison for six years prior to coming to RVCC.

Smith began his career at Sampson Community College as a Biology Instructor, where he taught general biology and human anatomy and physiology courses.

The Michigan native completed his Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Ranked by WalletHub.com, Intelligent.com, and CollegeEvaluator.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and 3M Observatory; a Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers approximately 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.