Jacob Wilson ’21 photograph.

The past two weekends were filled with celebrations at Ferrum College—the 45th annual Folklife Festival, Homecoming, and the inauguration of a new president. These events recognized the rich culture of the region, the College’s history, and the new directions Ferrum will be taking in the coming months.

Ferrum College has been a vital part of this region since its founding in 1913, and although the College is changing and growing, one thing is clear: it plans to continue being part of the revitalization of this area. In his inaugural address, President David Johns said, “Service to community is our heart and soul; we have always been grounded in Appalachia and committed to southwest Virginia, even as we extend our reach far beyond this corner of the world.”

While students from across the U.S. and from several countries attend Ferrum College, about three quarter come from Virginia and the surrounding areas. Because of this, President Johns said, “We have a responsibility to pay attention to needs in this region, and give students the tools they need to succeed.”

He said that graduates need to be entrepreneurs, no matter their major. “Students must do more than seize opportunity for themselves, they need to create opportunity for others.” This is a practical application, Johns explained, of the College’s motto, Not Self, But Others.

To better serve its students and prepare them for meaningful and productive lives, Johns said, “We are reallocating our resources to invest in programs and services that help our students succeed, in college and through the rest of their lives.” For perspective, Johns added, “A student who begins college this year will retire around 2065. Obviously, we need to change in order to compete and be relevant in a world that will change considerably during the lifetime of our students.”

And Ferrum College is making strides in serving its students. During the spring, students met with the president in three Town Hall meetings to offer their comments and suggestions. “We asked our students how we could improve,” Johns said, “and they told us!” Over the summer and during this semester, College staff and faculty have made a number of changes, from building renovations and food venue changes, to upgrading internet capacity and modifying the College’s first year student program.

In July, Ferrum College joined the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, one of the nation’s largest NCAA Division III conferences. “This is an incredible opportunity for our many student-athletes,” Johns pointed out. “The level of competition in our match-ups with ODAC-member schools brings a new level of excitement for all Panther fans. In addition, the close proximity to Ferrum of the other ODAC schools means our students will not need to spend as much time traveling, and it is far easier for family members to attend games.”

But it all comes back to service.

There is a great need for professional development in our area to enhance the existing workforce. “Talking with community leaders is helping as we plan our next steps and focus our efforts,” said Johns. To meet the growing demand in the region, Ferrum College is strengthening its offerings in high demand areas such as health care and recreation leadership, and will soon begin offering graduate programs in forensic investigation and teacher education.

“The kind of education that has the power to transform,” Johns stated in his inaugural address, “is the kind that gets its hands dirty, the kind that digs into the challenges of our world.”

Ferrum College has been a vital part of this region for over a century, changing lives and improving communities, and it is making the changes necessary for the next 100 years. “I am enthusiastic about the future of Ferrum College,” Johns remarked. “With passion, imagination, hard work, and the grace of God, anything is possible.”

Ferrum College will celebrate the inauguration of its twelfth president, David L. Johns, Ph.D., on Friday, October 19 at 10 a.m.  The ceremony will be held in Vaughn Chapel located on the College’s campus.  Phyllis Karavatakis ’76, chair of the Ferrum College Board of Trustees, will install Johns.   Beth Rushing, president of the Appalachian College Association, will bring the keynote address. The ceremony may be watched streaming live online here.

Johns became president of Ferrum College on January 1, 2018.  Prior to arriving at the College, he served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of college at Union College in Kentucky.

To celebrate this historic moment, Ferrum College invites members of the College, community and Ferrum alumni to join in the festivities surrounding the inauguration. These events begin on Thursday evening, October 18, when the College hosts Rev. Anna Woofenden, visiting pastor of peace and spirituality at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mount Vernon, Ohio, as part of the Rev. Dr. Wasena F. Wright, Jr. ’60 and Mrs. Patricia G. Wright Endowed Lecture Series. She will speak about “Food and Faith: Conversations from the Soil and Around the Table” at 7 p.m. in the Panther’s Den located in lower Franklin Hall on campus. This event is free and open to the public.

Following the inauguration on Friday, October 19, the community is invited to participate in a family-friendly bike tour hosted by Ferrum Outdoors at 1 p.m.  Also at 1 p.m., the 27^th Annual Corron Classic Panther Open Golf Tournament will commence at Great Oaks Country Club in Floyd.  Registration at www.ferrum.edu/homecoming is required for both events.

Community members are also invited to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the following outside events that are free and do not require registration:  The Homecoming parade will process down Wiley Drive on campus beginning at 4 p.m., followed by food trucks and children’s activities, plus live music by Twin Creeks Stringband at 5:15 p.m. and The Blue Crawdads at 7 p.m.  Fireworks over Adams Lake at 9 p.m. will conclude the evening’s events with s’mores immediately following outside Stanley Library.

Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities will continue on Saturday, October 20, with reunions, tailgating, and a 4 p.m. football game showcasing the Ferrum College Panthers versus the Washington and Lee Generals at W.B. Adams Stadium.  Football game tickets are available at the gate for $10 cash only.  The weekend festivities will conclude with a 9:30 a.m. worship service at Saint James United Methodist Church in Ferrum on Sunday, October 21.

For more information regarding Dr. Johns’ inauguration, Rev. Woofenden’s presentation, Homecoming events, and to register for events, please visit www.ferrum.edu/homecoming or call the Alumni Office at 540-365-4216.

For more information regarding Dr. Johns’ inauguration, Rev. Woofenden’s presentation, Homecoming events, and to register for events, please click here or call the Alumni Office at 540-365-4216.

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More information about Dr. Johns: Johns graduated from Malone University in Canton, Ohio in 1985, then earned an M.A. in Theology from the Earlham School of Religion, an M.L.S. from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in Theology from Duquesne University in 1999.  He taught at Wilmington College and the Earlham School of Religion; worked as a college chaplain and an academic librarian; lectured at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Puebla, Mexico, the Instituto de Jorge Fox in Ocotepeque, Honduras; and was a scholar-in-residence at the Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos in Mexico City. 

Board of Trustees Chair Phyllis Q. Karavatakis ’76 announced today that Dr. David Johns has been appointed the twelfth president of Ferrum College. Johns currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Union College, a private, United Methodist affiliated, liberal arts institution in Barbourville, Kentucky. He will assume his new role as president of Ferrum College on January 1, 2018.

Johns was the top candidate in a field of semi-finalists with experience and expertise in the roles of either president, provost, or vice president at comparable higher education institutions. The search committee consisted of Ms. Karavatakis, as the chair, along with Ferrum College trustees, alumni, faculty, student, and staff representatives who had not served on prior selection committees. In September, members began the review of applications from a deep field of qualified higher education administrators. Using professional search protocol, members then narrowed the field and conducted off-campus interviews with several semi-finalists. The committee brought their unanimous recommendation to the full Board of Trustees for their consideration and final selection.

According to Ms. Karavatakis, “Of all the candidates, Dr. Johns was deemed the best fit for president of Ferrum College. During his tenure at a Methodist-related institution, Dr. Johns taught and advised a student population comparable to that found at Ferrum College in a region similar to southwest Virginia. His sense of mission, his background as a vice president for academic affairs, and his experience as a faculty member, a Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) reviewer, a college chaplain, and a college librarian allow him to understand the complexity of higher education in the 21st century.”

Johns grew up near Canton, Ohio and was the first in his family to attend college. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Malone University in 1985, his Master of Arts from Earlham School of Religion in 1989, a Master of Library Science from Kent State University in 1993, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Theology from Duquesne University in 1999.

Upon his selection as the next Ferrum College president, Johns said, “I am honored to join the Ferrum community at a time of great opportunity and promise. The College’s history of service to the region is inspiring. I believe college should be a place where we are challenged to grow, to think, and to figure out how we can contribute to healing the world. This is in Ferrum’s DNA and Susan and I are eager to work with the entire Ferrum community to ensure this continues for generations to come.”

Johns is also a peer accreditation reviewer with the SACS Commission on Colleges, the Chair of the Faculty Research Fellowship Committee with the Appalachian College Association, and is active with the Chief Academic Officers group of the Association for Independent Kentucky Colleges & Universities.