Cheryl Evans Jones has been named the seventeenth president of Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. The college enrolls over 400 students, 85 percent of whom are Black.
In accepting the appointment, Dr. Jones said that “I am honored to be chosen to lead this great institution. Paine College holds a special place in my heart. I look forward to working with the board of trustees, our esteemed faculty, dedicated staff, loyal alumni and the Augusta community to further the college’s mission and growth. It is my sincere desire to create the best possible living and learning environment for our precious students. Together, we will write a new chapter in the life of Paine College.”
Dr. Jones first joined the Paine College faculty in 1993 as an assistant professor of psychology. She later went on to become an associate professor and earned tenure.
For more than two decades, Dr. Jones has played a vital role in Paine’s accreditation efforts. She served as the accreditation liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, as well as director of the Institutional Self-Study for Transitional Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. (Paine College is currently in a legal fight to retain its accreditation. See JBHE post.)
Dr. Jones is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. both in clinical-child/developmental psychology from Ohio State University.
