Athens, Ga. – A new director for University of Georgia graduate and continuing education programs offered in Gwinnett has been named. Ruth Bettandorff, who has served as associate director for learning services at UGA’s Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel since 2004, will succeed Janet Sandor, who retired in December.
Bettandorff, who is also a senior public service faculty member, will hold the title of assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of the Gwinnett Campus. She will report to Bob Boehmer, associate provost for institutional effectiveness and extended campuses, who has overall responsibility for UGA programs offered in Gwinnett, Griffin and Tifton.
Bettandorff’s responsibilities will include handling day-to-day coordination of academic programs at the Gwinnett Campus, located at 2530 Sever Road in Lawrenceville, just off I-85 at the Old Peachtree Road exit. She also will work with UGA schools and colleges to develop new graduate degree programs for the Gwinnett campus, and with the Georgia Center for Continuing Education on new non-credit courses for professional development.
As associate director of the Division of Learning Services at the Georgia Center, Bettandorff provided strategic direction in programming, budgets and management and was responsible for developing and supervising educational programs that generated revenue and grants of more than $5 million annually.
Before coming to UGA, Bettandorff held administrative positions with Kennesaw State University, Agnes Scott College and the University of Louisville. She holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University at Chico and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi.
“Since beginning her career as director of the Jackson Campus of the University of Mississippi in 1976, Dr. Bettandorff has held a number of increasingly responsible positions in higher education administration in continuing education and credit programs at several institutions, including the University of Georgia,” said Boehmer. “In combination with her deep knowledge of the Gwinnett community, this experience uniquely qualifies Dr. Bettandorff for leadership of our rapidly growing Gwinnett Campus.”
Bettandorff has lived in Lawrenceville for 15 years and served on several Gwinnett school committees. Her two daughters graduated from Collins Hill High School and her youngest daughter is now a 5th grade teacher in the Gwinnett public schools.
“It is very exciting to have the opportunity to be a part of growing and expanding the new UGA campus in Gwinnett,” said Bettandorff. “This campus is designed specifically for adult learners whose jobs, families and other responsibilities have made it difficult to travel to continue their education. Now they can take advantage of a variety of UGA graduate degree programs and professional development courses available right in the Gwinnett area.”
UGA has offered graduate degree programs in Gwinnett since the mid-1980s, but increased the number and variety of programs in recent years. In addition to continuing education programs in Gwinnett, UGA offers customized training for businesses and organizations in the Gwinnett area through the Georgia Center, the Small Business Development Center and the Educational Technology Training Center operated by UGA’s College of Education-all of which have offices at the Gwinnett Campus.
For more information about UGA’s Gwinnett Campus, see www.uga.edu/gwinnett.
