Thanking Dr. Sheri Robertson for 4 Decades with NOVA

Recently, Dr. Sheri Robertson shared her intent to retire from NOVA next year, and it is a testament to her reputation and legacy that, upon learning of Sheri’s impending retirement, VCCS Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Workforce Programs Sharon Morrissey reached out with a request: would she instead consider spending one final year working for the system, taking on a role to review and revise policy and advise on systemwide transfer efforts. Thankfully, Sheri—who one colleague called “a walking encyclopedia of all things policy and curriculum”—agreed. She will start a new one-year role as Associate Vice President for Academic and Workforce Policy at VCCS on July 1, well-deserved recognition of her expertise and experience.

Sheri has spent almost four decades at NOVA. Beginning in 1982 as a Horticulture faculty member, going on to head that program, serve as acting Chair for the Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, and serve as Coordinator of Academic Assessment before being named as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1997. In her almost 25 years in that role, she provided leadership for the development and revision of academic policies for NOVA, VCCS, and SCHEV, ensuring systemwide quality and academic integrity. This experience resulted in her successfully leading multiple accreditation processes as well as program reviews at the local and state level. One of her peers shared, “The respect and admiration that Sheri has at NOVA and throughout the state is unbelievable. Few people get to that level of stature in their lifetime. She is curriculum and policy in Virginia.”

Sheri brought a commitment to innovation in service of students to her work, and her leadership of the faculty-driven transfer initiative that led to the groundbreaking NOVA/GMU ADVANCE program will be one of her many lasting legacies. Sheri brought a practical yet visionary approach to this work, which enabled ADVANCE to grow from one transfer opportunity to more than 100 in just a few short years. NOVA’s credit-for-prior-learning and dual enrollment offerings saw similar growth thanks to her commitment to an inclusive approach. One commonality across all of Sheri’s accomplishments is their focus on students, what one colleague described as her “heart for others.” Another is her ability to build coalitions thanks to her “caring, genuine, and transparent” approach to working with faculty. She is a model academic leader.

I have been honored to work alongside Sheri in her role as NOVA’s interim Chief Academic Officer. She has kept our college steady and moved it forward throughout the pandemic. Her eyes are always on the horizon, on what NOVA can and should be doing next. This is exemplified by one of her most recent accomplishments: a three-time Hokie, Sheri helped negotiate a transfer agreement between NOVA and Virginia Tech’s new Business IT degree—a program that will be central to the upcoming VT Innovation Campus. Again, always looking to the future.

NOVA is in Sheri’s family, her mother and son both worked at our college, and it is going to be difficult to imagine NOVA without her. But, knowing that she will bring her wisdom and experience to bear in strengthening our entire system will bring some comfort. As Vice Chancellor Morrissey noted about Sheri, “With her experience as a chief academic officer and her deep knowledge of VCCS and SCHEV policies, Dr. Robertson will be a tremendous asset as we develop new policies and procedures to support system-level initiatives, such as Direct Enrollment, Onboarding Redesign, transfer pathways, and other policy areas that will emerge from implementation of Opportunity 2027. I am deeply grateful to Northern Virginia Community College for ‘loaning’ Sheri to us for this important work, which will benefit the entire VCCS.”

I know you join me in thanking Dr. Sheri Robertson and wishing her well! NOVA will be throwing a virtual Goodbye and Gratitude Party for Sheri on June 30 from 3-5 pm. Look for the zoom link in the next few days. I hope you will be able to drop in and celebrate her leadership and legacy!

Submitted by:
Anne Kress, presidentsoffice@nvcc.edu