Dr. Betsy Vogel Boze (pronounced Bōz), is an American academic and higher education administrator who is currently serving as the ninth President of
The College of The Bahamas. Previously, she worked as a professor of marketing, department chair, dean, and CEO of
Kent State University at Stark
Kent State University at Stark (Kent State University Stark or Kent State Stark) is a satellite campus of Kent State University in Jackson Township, Ohio, United States. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
History
Although no ...
, before serving as the president of
The College of The Bahamas. She is a senior fellow at the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning ...
(AASCU), that researches alternative revenue streams for public colleges and universities.
Education
Secondary education

Boze attended Southfield School in Shreveport, Louisiana, and graduated from
C. E. Byrd High School, where she participated in social and environmental issues, including the first
Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...
. In 2009, she was inducted into the Byrd High School Hall of Fame.
Formal education
Boze earned both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Masters in Business Administration degrees from Southern Methodist University (
SMU) in Dallas, Texas. She studied international management at
Thunderbird School of Global Management
The Thunderbird School of Global Management (or simply Thunderbird) is a global leadership, management, and business school at Arizona State University, a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. It was founded in 1946 as an i ...
, Spanish at
Monterrey Institute of Technology
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM; ), also known as Technological Institute of Monterrey () or just Tec, is aresearch university based in Monterrey, Mexico, which has grown to include 35 campuses located across 25 cit ...
(ITESM) in Monterrey, Mexico, and Japanese at
International Christian University
is a non-denominational private university located in Mitaka, Tokyo. With the efforts of Prince Takamatsu, General Douglas MacArthur, and Bank of Japan, BOJ Governor Hisato Ichimada, ICU was established in 1949 as the first liberal arts coll ...
(ICU) in
Mitaka, Japan. She earned her PhD in business administration from the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...
, majoring in marketing with minors in economics and sociology.
Post-doctoral studies
Boze's postdoctoral studies include
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
Seminar for new presidents,
Program on Negotiation
The Program on Negotiation (PON) is a university consortium dedicated to developing the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution. As a community of scholars and practitioners, PON serves a unique role in the world negotiation commu ...
at
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
, The
University of Hawaii
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
Pan Asian Institute,Higher Education Resource Symposium (HERS),
Bryn Mawr Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration,
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning ...
(AASCU) Millennial Leadership Initiative, The Center for Creative Leadership and a year-long
American Council on Education
The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. higher education association established in 1918. ACE's members are the leaders of approximately 1,600 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher educati ...
(ACE) Fellowship. Boze is a graduate of Leadership Texas, Leadership America and Leadership Stark County.
University experience
Faculty, Teaching, Administrative Appointments and Fundraising
Boze was the ninth president and chief executive officer of the
College of the Bahamas
The University of The Bahamas (UB) is the national public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New ...
. During her tenure at The
College of the Bahamas
The University of The Bahamas (UB) is the national public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New ...
, Boze:
* Opened a new Northern Bahamas Campus on Grand Bahama;
* Opened the new Harry C. Moore Library on the Oakes Field Campus;
* Remodeled buildings including the Residence Halls and the Student Union Building;
* Developed a
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs of the state of China. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilita ...
in partnership with NUIST the
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology;
* Created an
Erasmus Mundus
The European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme (named after Erasmus, the Renaissance scholar) aims to enhance quality in higher education through scholarship
A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students f ...
Action 2 consortium grant with
Free University of Belgium, and an MOU with
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
to jointly deliver an LLM program in maritime law;
* Established the Oral History Institute;
* Created the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI);
* Created and expanded academic success celebrations to increase student retention;
* Signed an Agreement with the
Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay is a private gated community located on the western tip of New Providence island in the Bahamas. The former cay that lent its name to the community is named after Captain William Lyford Jr., a mariner of note in Colonial and Revolutio ...
Foundation to sponsor a creative outreach program for at-risk 4th–12th grade students on COB campus which assists under-served, academically motivated students;
* Partnered with the
Island School to co-brand the
Cape Eleuthera Institute as the College of The Bahamas Cape Eleuthera Institute; and lastly,
* Boze assisted with opening the Franklin Wilson Graduate Business Building.
While Boze was the dean of
Kent State University at Stark
Kent State University at Stark (Kent State University Stark or Kent State Stark) is a satellite campus of Kent State University in Jackson Township, Ohio, United States. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
History
Although no ...
in
North Canton, Ohio
North Canton is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States. The population was 17,842 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb in the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area.
History
North Canton was established as the village of New Berlin in 1831. R ...
from 2005 to 2009, the campus became a four-year comprehensive liberal arts university with professional graduate degree programs. During Boze's tenure, the university developed and implemented the first strategic plan and first enrollment management plan.
Fund development
Through fundraising, Boze secured over $100 million in grants, federal earmarks and personal and corporate contributions for her institutions.
Boze tripled the endowment at both Kent State University and at the College of the Bahamas by securing two dozen endowed scholarships to support student access and success. In addition to construction projects at the College of The Bahamas, public, private and foundation funds were developed for a new science building at Kent State University Stark designed to
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
Green Gold standards.
Senior Administrative Positions
Boze was the inaugural dean of the College of Business at The
University of Texas at Brownsville
The University of Texas at Brownsville (abbreviated as UTB and formerly known as the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College TB/TSC was an educational institution located in Brownsville, Texas. The university was on the l ...
and served as assistant to the president while an American Council on Education Fellow at
Tulane University
The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
. She served as the chief academic officer of The
University of Texas System
The University of Texas System (UT System) is a public university system in the U.S. state of Texas. It includes nine universities and five independent health institutions. The UT System is headquartered in Downtown Austin. It is the large ...
"UT TeleCampus" MBA Online and held a Research Faculty appointment at Texas A&M University, where she was co-director of the Texas Ports & Waterways.
Boze has also held full-time faculty and administrative positions at St. Bonaventure University,
University of Maryland University College
The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is a public university in College Park, Maryland, and the largest institution in the University System of Maryland. Established in 1947 as the College of Special and Continuation Studies of the U ...
in Japan, Germany, and Italy, Centenary College of Louisiana, and The University of Alaska Anchorage, where she was department chair of business administration and Faculty Senate president. In addition, Boze was a visiting faculty member at Portland State University in
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...
�аба́ровскin the former Soviet Union.
Publications and scholarly record
Boze has published over 100 peer-refereed research articles and book chapters on marketing and business administration. She writes and speaks publicly on higher education administration, distance education, technology and women's issues.
Boze was also a planner in the creation of the University of Texas TeleCampus, the University of Texas's web-based, virtual university.
Academic partnerships and other collaborations
Boze has over twenty years' experience in unique academic partnerships.
* Boze served as the inaugural dean of business at both The University of Texas at Brownsville (a comprehensive state university) and Texas Southmost College (a community college). The two institutions were jointly accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...
but separated in 2013.
* At the University of Alaska Anchorage, the community colleges were merged into the university system, serving as branch and two-year campuses.
* Under a 20-year lease, Kent State University Stark, a comprehensive regional university, leases to neighboring Stark State College of Technology. As co-located institutions, Kent State Stark provides library services and articulates many programs and courses.
* Boze made the College of the Bahamas is home to several
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...
academic programs, including the LLB program.
Professional and Community Leadership and Service

Boze served as the chief executive officer of the Gerace Research Center and serves on the board of the
International Association of Universities
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led non-governmental organization working in the field of global higher education. It has more than 600 members in over 130 countries, including institutions, organizations, aff ...
.
She serves on the A۰P۰L۰U-
AASCU
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning ...
Advisory Group on Distance Education, the AASCU Policies and Practices Committee, an AASCU state representative, and the board of the
Millennial Leadership Initiative.
Boze is a director of the Betty and Paul McDonald Foundation (Louisiana, US) and the Florida-based Bahamas Education, Culture, and Science Foundation, Inc. She is a former director or trustee on the following national boards in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas: the College of the Bahamas Council, Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation, the Gerace Research Center, the
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) is an art museum located in Nassau, The Bahamas. It was the first institution of its kind in the country's history. Announced in 1996 by then-Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham, the NAGB was part of a ...
, the
Clifton Heritage National Park, the
Bahamas National Trust
The Bahamas National Trust is a non-profit organisation in the Bahamas that manages the country's 32 national parks.. Its headquarters is located in New Providence in the Bay Street Business Centre, East Bay Street. Its office was formally locate ...
and the National Advisory Council on Education. She is a director of the Canadian Foundation, Canadian Friends of COB.
Boze was a commissioner on the City of Canton Sustainability Commission and vice chair of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. She served as trustee on the boards of the Stark County Port Authority, American Cancer Society (Ohio),
Canton Museum of Art, Greater Canton Chamber of Commerce, Mayor's Literacy Commission (Canton, OH), Ohio Area Health Education Centers, Ohio Citizens for the Arts, Paul and Betty McDonald Foundation, Stark Development Board, and the Stark Education Partnership P-16.
She served on Rep. William Healy's mayoral transition team and inaugural committee and the Ohio Board of Regents task force to revise the operating manual for two-year campus programs. She was the president of the Ohio Association of Regional Campuses. She further served on the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, the strategic planning committee of the Stark Development Board, the strategic planning committee of the Stark County YMCA, Lake Local Schools, and the Greater Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Education Committee. She is a member of the
Junior League
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...
of Washington, D.C.
Professional and Public Service to Higher Education

National appointments include the finance committee of the American Council on Education Council of Fellows, the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning ...
(AASCU) Women Presidents and Chancellors affinity group, and the AASCU Policies and Practices Committee. She is a sponsor, mentor, and faculty member of the AASCU Millennial Leadership Initiative.
Boze is a
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
(North Central Association of Colleges and Universities) AQIP consultant/evaluator and PEAQ peer reviewer.
She served as faculty for the 2007–2009 ACE National and Regional Leadership Forums and the 2006–2009 American Association of State Colleges and Universities Millennial Leadership Institutes. In addition, she annually serves as an AASCU MLI mentor at the HERS Bryn Mawr Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration. Boze serves on the ACE Office of Women in Higher Education executive board.
She was a team leader for the 2007 AASCU Hispanic Student Success Report and a 2008 delegate to the Mid-West Higher Education Consortium. Boze serves on the editorial boards of the international journal ''Teaching & Learning in Higher and Continuing Education'' and the American Council on Education ''Network News''.
More recently, Boze served as the president of the Southwest Business Deans, the Texas Council of Collegiate Education in Business (Texas College and University Business Deans), Junior Achievement (Rio Grande Valley, Texas), and the Girl Scouts Susitna Council (Alaska).
From 1996 to 2005, Boze served as the state coordinator of the American Council on Education Women's Network for Texas and serves on the editorial board of ACE ''Network News''. From 1997 to 2005, she chaired the Women Administrators in Management Education (the women's affinity group) of the Association for the Advancement of Colleges and Schools of Business.
Environmental Leadership and Service
Boze has a lifelong passion for the environment. She secured private funding for the Hoover Center for Environmental Media Activism. Under her leadership, Kent State Stark was recognized on the
President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll every year from 2006 to 2009. Boze's leadership in P-16 collaboration led to alignment of high school graduation requirements in mathematics with workforce readiness and college readiness.
Boze signed the
for both Kent State University and the College of The Bahamas
Boze sewed and flew one of the first
Ecology Flags for the original Earth Day. She is considered an international leader in
Education for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General Assembly (1987)''Report of th ...
. She was instrumental in the IAU Iquitos Statement on Higher Education for Sustainable Development, part of the
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) 2005–2014 was an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative of the United Nations. The Decade was delivered by UNESCO as lead agency, and gave rise to Regional Centres of E ...
.
As both president of the College of The Bahamas and CEO and Dean of Kent State University at Stark, Boze signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment,
and the campus joined the
, and became one of the largest recyclers in Stark County (Ohio). The campus is the site of Stark County's Earth Day and dedicated a pond as a federally protected wetland in 2007.
Beginning with the 2008 graduating class, graduates were encouraged to take the "Graduation Pledge" of social and environmental responsibility.
Delta Delta Delta Leadership
Boze is a third-generation
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international collegiate Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity. It was founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts.
History
File:S ...
(Theta Kappa, Southern Methodist University). She served as the president of the Delta Delta Delta Alumnae Chapter (Alaska), president of the Rio Grande Valley Alumnae Chapter (Texas), state reference chairman (Alaska), alumnae advisor of the University of Arkansas collegiate chapter, panhellenic advisor at the Louisiana State University Shreveport collegiate chapter, and president of Wish Upon a Star, at the Shreveport, Louisiana alumnae chapter philanthropy events.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boze, Betsy
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Southern Methodist University alumni
C. E. Byrd High School alumni
University of Arkansas alumni
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education alumni
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
American expatriates in the Bahamas
American academic administrators
Women heads of universities and colleges