Campus Compact Names Robert J. Jones to National Board

UAlbany president is elected to a three-year term

BOSTON (July 23, 2015) -- Robert J. Jones, Ph.D., president of the University at Albany, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Campus Compact, the nonprofit coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents – representing some 6 million students – who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education.

Jones assumed his post on July 1 and will serve a three-year term.

The Campus Compact board consists of a distinguished group of college and university presidents from across the country representing all segments of higher education, as well as representatives from the philanthropic, business, and public interest communities. The Board guides the organization in its mission of deepening higher education’s ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.

"Robert Jones is nationally recognized for his work to advance university-community engagement," said Campus Compact President Andrew J. Seligsohn, Ph.D. "He will be a great addition to our board as we look to advance initiatives to support campuses as they prepare students for lives of citizenship and develop strong community partnerships."

University at Albany President Robert J. Jones. (photo by Mark Schmidt)

At the same meeting, Campus Compact’s Board of Directors elected Mary Grant, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, as vice chair. Three other new members were also selected: Charlene Dukes, president of Prince George’s Community College; Jean MacCormack, president of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate; and Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, Inc.

Campus Compact is advancing several new initiatives, including increasing the quality and quantity of professional development available to higher education civic engagement practitioners, creating a national network of civically engaged college students, and developing an action statement calling for a renewed commitment to the public purposes of higher education, to be affirmed by presidents and chancellors at Campus Compact's 30th anniversary summit in March of 2016.

Robert J. Jones is the 19th president of the University at Albany. He came to Albany following 34 years at the University of Minnesota, where he had most recently served as senior vice president for academic administration at the University of Minnesota System since 2004. Before that, Jones spent more than 15 years in key administrative leadership positions at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, including vice president and executive vice provost for faculty and academic programs; vice president for campus life; vice provost for faculty and academic personnel; interim vice president for student development; and president of the University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education (UMore) Park Development, LLC.

Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Fort Valley State College, a master of science degree in crop physiology from the University of Georgia, and a doctorate in crop physiology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. After earning the Ph.D., he joined the University of Minnesota faculty as a professor of agronomy and plant genetics. He is an internationally recognized authority on plant physiology and has published numerous scientific papers, manuscripts, and abstracts.

In addition to his work with Campus Compact, Jones serves on the local boards of the Center for Economic Growth, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Capitalize Albany, and Albany Promise. At the national level, he serves on the boards of the Bush Foundation, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, and the Scholars at Risk Network. He is a member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, an advisory committee to the National Science Foundation.

About Campus Compact:
Campus Compact is a nonprofit coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents— representing some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building community engagement into campus and academic life. For more information, visit www.compact.org or follow @Campus_Compact on Twitter.

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