John Gardner
Brevard College

Dr. John Gardner is the Executive Director of the Policy Center on the First Year of College, which he founded with his fellow presenter and wife, Dr. Betsy Barefoot, in October 1999. He is also Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the University of South Carolina. The Policy Center, which is currently funded by grants from Lumina Foundation for Education and The Atlantic Philanthropies, works with colleges and universities to assist them in taking more responsibility for student learning and retention. The Center is the outgrowth of their prior work at the University of South Carolina where John was the founder of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. John was chief academic officer (vice chancellor) for five two-year campuses of the University of South Carolina for 13 years from 1983-1996. These campuses resemble community colleges in many ways. He has special affinity for the challenges faced by campuses participating in the Achieving the Dream initiative.