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Jerry Jerman
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORMAN, OK — James P. Pappas, Ph.D., vice president for University of Oklahoma Outreach and dean, OU College of Liberal Studies, was recently elected vice president and president elect of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP) for 2007-2008. Pappas will serve as president of the AGLSP from 2009-2010. Pappas served as secretary-treasurer of the association from 2005-2006.

            The election was held at the AGLSP annual conference in Santa Fe, N.M., October 11-14, which OU hosted. As vice president of the association, Pappas will chair the nominee committee, which slates officers for the board, as well as assume leadership in the absence of the association president.

            “Obviously I am honored to have been elected to this position,” said Pappas. “This service to the association is one important way of giving back to the field. But more importantly, since AGLSP is the key association for graduate liberal studies, our involvement is a good way to showcase nationally the outstanding programs offered through the College of Liberal Studies.”

            The AGLSP is an international organization of more than 125 institutional members that share a common interest in graduate-level liberal education primarily serving adult, part-time students. Founded in 1975, the AGLSP represents a broad selection of American higher education – from small liberal arts colleges to large, research-oriented universities in the public and private sectors. 

            The AGLSP produces a bi-annual national, academic journal that is interdisciplinary in nature and features works from faculty, staff and students of graduate liberal studies programs. In 2005, Pappas became publisher of the journal, entitled Confluence: The Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies, and OU Outreach assumed publishing responsibilities. The first OU-produced issue of the journal was in Fall 2005, which was published under the original name, The Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies, and design. Since then, the journal updated both its name and its design.

            As vice president for OU Outreach, Pappas oversees the Colleges of Continuing Education and Liberal Studies, which combined are a lifelong learning organization that annually offers some 2,000 courses and activities to more than 200,000 non-traditional learners in Oklahoma and in locations all over the world. Pappas has been at OU Outreach since 1987, first as vice-provost and later as vice-president.