Cross-college Transfer: Montgomery College’s Dr. Rodney Redmond to Serve as CSM’s Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs

Montgomery College (MC) and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) announced this week that collegewide Dean of English and Reading at Montgomery College Dr. Rodney Redmond will serve as CSM’s interim vice president of Academic Affairs, effective January 2021. Redmond stepping into the interim vice president position at CSM marks a unique cross-college transfer between community colleges in Maryland and sets the stage for professional development opportunities that build leadership pipelines across the state’s academic institutions.

“Dr. Redmond brings deep community college experience and a strong passion for our mission,” said CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy. “He has served in a variety of academic capacities at Montgomery College: professor, department chair, associate dean, dean, acting vice-president and provost, and now college-wide dean. Additionally, Dr. Redmond has a keen interest in participatory governance and was involved in the design and implementation of the model currently used at Montgomery College.

Dr. DeRionne Pollard, president of Montgomery College, called Redmond an extraordinary leader at MC, who brings a powerful equity lens to pedagogy and process.

“I have no doubt that Dr. Redmond’s experience will be an asset to CSM during this transition period,” Pollard said. “Dr. Redmond works tirelessly to expand opportunity through higher education, and I know he will bring that same energy to his interim role at CSM.”

Redmond began his career in education more than 20 years ago. Initially, working in secondary education as a sophomore level English teacher, he later transitioned into a career in higher education. Within the higher education arena, he has worked as an adjunct professor, teaching English Composition and Developmental English, at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio before joining the English faculty at the Rockville campus of MC. During his tenure as an English faculty member at MC, he served in various roles including his work as a member of the Assessment Center Advisory Committee, the English Discipline Steering Committee, the English CLEP coordinator, the English Competency coordinator and chair of the department of English Composition, Literature and Professional Writing.

“I look forward to serving as the interim vice president of Academic Affairs at the College of Southern Maryland,” said Redmond. “Maintaining continuity of service while the institution prepares for its next chief academic affairs officer is pivotal in these challenging times. I am happy to support that continuity.

“The partnership between the College of Southern Maryland and Montgomery College, making this leadership development opportunity possible, is a bold move and a first for both institutions,” he continued. “The colleges’ willingness to share human resources expands the leadership development pipeline in ways unimagined among community colleges in the state of Maryland. It also demonstrates the innovation and creativity of Dr. Maureen Murphy and Dr. DeRionne Pollard – both of whom are exceptional community college leaders.”

Redmond will continue in the interim position while CSM conducts a national search for a new chief academic officer to replace Dr. Eileen Abel, who left CSM Nov. 30, 2020 to become executive director of the University System of Maryland Southern Maryland (USMSM).

Redmond has also served the MC as the representative to the local NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) program and chair of the board of directors for The Bernie Tetreault Scholarship Program. He is a member of the National Council of Black American Affairs, Community College Humanities Association, Rocky D’s Angel Connection Advisory Board, a member of Phi Beta Sigma, Fraternity, Inc., and served as a panelist with the Maryland Arts and Humanities Commission. He earned his bachelor’s in English Education from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi. After matriculation at Rust College, he received his master’s from the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. He completed his doctorate in Higher Education Administration, focusing on community college leadership, from Morgan State University in Baltimore.