Dr. Kevin Demmitt, a 20-year veteran faculty member and administrator at Clayton State University, has been named the university’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
“Clayton State is blessed to have a number of individuals able to exercise leadership in times of transition. As Dr. Micheal Crafton prepares to leave us after nearly five years of exceptional service, we are delighted to announce that Dr. Kevin Demmitt has agreed to serve as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs,” says Clayton State President Dr. Thomas Hynes in making the announcement of Demmitt’s appointment.
Hynes points out that Demmitt has served the university in wide variety of capacities over nearly 20 years, most recently in the Office of Academic Affairs as associate vice president for extended programs.
Included in those leadership responsibilities have been oversight of Clayton State’s off-campus sites – notably the Peachtree City and Henry County locations – as well as on-line offerings, the growing dual enrollment program, and the Office of International Programs.
“His breath of experiences, together with his strong commitment to academic excellence, and collaborations across programs and divisions, make him an exceptional candidate for this position,” says Hynes. “Like many of our colleagues, I am excited for this chance to work with Dr. Demmitt in this new capacity, and I know he will do an excellent job continuing the excellent work of Dr. Crafton and our other Academic Affairs colleagues.”
“I am excited about serving in this capacity,” says Demmitt, a long-time and well-known resident of Peachtree City. “We have a number of academic initiatives underway, including developing new programs to support the film industry, increasing our engagement with the community through student internships, and continuing our efforts to help more students graduate and enter the workforce. My goal is to work with others to keep them moving forward.
“This marks my 20th year at Clayton State. Never did I think that my work could change so much while staying at one university. It is a wonderful place to work. There is an engaging spirit of entrepreneurship as we start new programs and adjust to the changing landscape. From the development of new academic programs, to the opening of new instructional sites, and the growth of online learning – it has been quite a ride. But our core commitment to excellent instruction and serving the needs of our community has remained the same. That is why I am still here and enjoying what I do every day.”
According to Hynes, Clayton State intends to begin the search process to identify the next permanent Provost almost immediately.
Crafton is leaving Clayton State to return to the University of West Georgia as that University System of Georgia institution’s provost.
