Bluefield State College in West Virginia is a historically Black educational institution which enrolls about 2,000 undergraduate students. The institution was founded in 1895 as the Bluefield Colored Institute. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the state of West Virginia, sought to desegregate its higher education system. Despite its history as a HBCU, today only 10 percent of the student body at Bluefield State is Black. Yet, the college is still proud of and celebrates its legacy as a historically Black institution.
Bluefield State College recently announced the appointment of two African Americans to administrative posts.
Jo-Ann Robinson was appointed vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. She was vice president for enrollment management and student development at Wilberforce University in Ohio.
Dr. Robinson is a graduate of the State University of New York, College at Brockport. She holds a master’s degree in social science from Binghamton University and a Ph.D. in educational research and policy analysis from North Carolina State University.
Guy Sims was named assistant to the president for equity, diversity, and inclusion at Bluefield State. He was assistant vice president for student affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Before joining the staff at Virginia Tech in 2006, he was an administrator for six years at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Dr. Sims is a graduate of The Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He holds master’s degrees from what is now Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and National University in San Diego. He earned an educational doctorate at the University of Northern Iowa.
Congratulations to Dr. Sims, an outstanding son of The Lincoln University and a great choice for Bluefield State College.