Faculty Trustee Election

Dr. Steph Frye-Clark

I consider the course of my ten-year employment at East Tennessee State University to be both the thoroughfare of professional development as well as the exposé of a promising vocational path yet to unfold. I have taken great pride in my work at ETSU and am seeking out and will continue to pursue opportunities where I may be of service for the betterment of the institution. ETSU is not without flaws but I have witnessed and admire the university’s dedication to achieve the greatest good for its student body, staff, and faculty alike. Given my experience and commitment to ETSU I believe that I am a very competitive candidate for the role of Faculty Trustee. 

I have been a dedicated faculty member at ETSU for nearly ten years. During my time here I have not only increased the quality of education for my students but have recruited and grown my personal classroom size exponentially. In addition to success within my own department, I have actively sought out cross-disciplinary collaboration to assist in improvement of faculty, staff and student experiences alike. I have served on the Faculty Senate for the past year and a half. While on the Faculty Senate I have been elected to the Executive Committee as a member-at-large. During my time on the executive committee I co-created the new Faculty Senator Orientation which was implemented in August of 2022. Most recently, I completed my time serving as one of two Provost Academy Scholars for the 2022 calendar year. During my time in the Provost Academy I conducted research surrounding the state of faculty evaluation and its effect on faculty success. Through extensive interviews and qualitative processes I was provided insight into the faculty experience beyond my department and college. I found the tenure processes to be a subject that greatly affects all faculty and their experience as employees at the institution and am looking forward to seeing the evolution and results of this research carried out by the Provost’s Office. 

In closing, I am an excellent candidate to not only uphold and support the work that has been achieved by faculty trustees before me, but to navigate the contemporary and complex landscape of an ever-evolving student body and complexities of higher education. The student body at ETSU is no longer a homogenous population; they are not afraid to express their needs or concerns. Faculty, staff and state mandates are increasingly more intricate and can even be enigmatic in nature. Given my background, my proven work ethic, and my commitment to the betterment of ETSU, you will not find a candidate more dedicated than myself. I firmly support work which preserves and protects this institution’s reputation through supporting and protecting its mission. Thank you for your time in the review of my statement and in general the pursuit of the next Faculty Trustee. 

Dr. Brian Johnston

Please accept this statement of qualification for the Faculty Trustee position at East Tennessee State University.  My path to this decision is probably a bit different than most faculty, but I think it presents a unique applicant to serve both the ETSU Faculty and the University as a whole. 
 
For the first fifteen years of my career at ETSU I was involved in sports medicine within the athletic department. During that time, I moved from assistant athletic trainer to Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Welfare. Along the way I had interactions with many current and former faculty members, administrators and donors within the ETSU community. These interactions provide insight into the inner workings of a wide variety of areas that allow the campus to function on a daily basis. I served on the Senior Staff of the Athletic Department as well as Clinical Director for the Jerry Robertson BucSports Athletic Medicine Center. 
 
In 2016 I had the opportunity to join to faculty through the development of the Global Sport Leadership Program. This is an online doctorate (Ed.D) for sport practitioners providing leadership skills for future sport leaders. As an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator I have had the opportunity to expand my network both domestically and abroad. Each May I take my class out of the country to expose them to best practices in leadership and business. Graduates from the Global Sport program work in the sport industry as well as in academic faculty roles. 
 
This combination of practitioner and faculty member bring a unique applicant to this position and I am excited about the opportunity to serve with the ETSU Board of Trustees. 
 
Pertinent Service with the University:

• ETSU Committee for 125 (2012)
• Campus Food Service Proposal Committee (2016)
• University Marketing Council (2018-2020)
• At-Large Member of Graduate Council – Curriculum Subcommittee (2018 – Present)
• Chair of Graduate Council (2020 – Present)
• Academic Council (2020 – Present)
• Chair – Outstanding Dissertation Committee (2021 – Present)
• Chair – Outstanding Graduate Mentor Committee (2021 – Present)
• Chair – College of Graduate and Continuing Studies College Committee (2021)
• SACSCOC Reaffirmation Writing Committee (2022
  o   9.1 Program Content
  o   9.2 Program Length
  o   10.7 Policies for Awarding Credit

Dr. Ryan Nivens

Dr. Ryan Nivens has worked in Clemmer College and in the ETSU community since 2008 and currently serves as a Professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department.
 
In his tenue, Dr. Nivens has invested his expertise in a myriad of service projects to expand high-leverage practices in the region, nation, and globally. Specifically, he has designed and implemented focused professional learning to support Tennessee and Virginia Public School Districts. He provided ongoing support to teachers and developed their content knowledge as well as pedagogical knowledge. In order to develop sustainable change initiatives, he purposely sought opportunities to serve as a representative from ETSU on the National Council of Teacher of Mathematics, ETSU Northeast Tennessee STEM Hub Advisory Council, and Tennessee Mathematics Teachers Association. Additionally during his 15 year tenure, he has demonstrated leadership through shared-governance at the university through the following:

ETSU 

• Chair, Teacher Education Advisory Committee (2017-2020)
• Senator, Faculty Senate (2020-2023)
• Treasurer and Chief Operation Officer, Faculty Senate (2021-22)

ETSU College of Education 

• Chair, Teacher Education Advisory Committee (2017-2020)
• Member, Tenure & Promotion Committee (2014-2017, 2020-2023)
• Member, TBR Ready2Teach Assessment Team (2011-2016)
• Member, TBR Problem-based Learning Team (2011-2016)
• Co-founder and co-coordinator, COE Brown Bag Seminar series (2011-2014)
• Member, Clemmer College Appeals committee (2010-present)
• Member, Eastman Scholar MathElites Project Leadership team (2008-present)
• Representative, General Education Advisory Council, Fall 2014
• Member, ETSU 1020 Advisory committee (2014-15)

ETSU Departmental Service (Curriculum & Instruction unless otherwise noted)

• Created the CUAI Brown Bag Seminar for faculty collaboration. Organized three speakers for the fall and three for the spring semester (2011-12).
• Chair, CUAI Tenure & Promotion committee (Fall 2017-2020)
• Scorer, Tennessee Board of Regents Pilot of the edTPA 

Dr. Nivens has established intentional connections to teaching and service through research presentations and publications. In addition to service as a committee member on dissertation committees, he has over 99 presentations and has published book chapters in addition to 24 refereed articles. He represents ETSU with excellence and has a demonstrated service and shared-governance in a myriad of capacities.