Dr. Bumphus Biography

WALTER G. BUMPHUS Dr. Bumphus is currently serving as President for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, which governs the seven community colleges and forty-two technical college campuses across the State of Louisiana. Dr. Bumphus is responsible to the Louisiana Community and Technical College Board of Supervisors for providing visionary leadership and direction for the State’s seven community colleges and the Louisiana Technical College. The System provides educational programs and services each semester to approximately 45,000 students on fifty campuses statewide. The System has an operating budget of $250 million and employs 5,400 employees.

Dr. Bumphus served as Chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) from November 2000 until September 2001. The two year school has been the fastest growing community college in the nation the past year, and now has an enrollment of 4,200 students. Prior to joining BRCC, Dr. Bumphus served as President of the Higher Education Division of Voyager Expanded Learning. The privately held company provided curriculum and training materials for 1000 school districts in 44 states. Prior to joining Voyager, he served as President of Brookhaven College in the Dallas County Community College District for six years. Brookhaven College enrolled over 9,000 credit and 10,000 non-credit students and employed 300 full-time and 950 part-time personnel. In an educational career that spans over 30 years, Dr. Bumphus has worked as an administrator at a regional university and four different community colleges.

Dr. Bumphus holds a B.A. degree in Speech Communications and a M.A. degree in Guidance and Counseling from Murray State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1992 Dr. Bumphus was recognized as a distinguished graduate from both Murray State University and The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Bumphus’ administrative career began as Director of Minority Affairs and Dormitory Director at Murray State University. At age 25, Dr. Bumphus was appointed Dean of Students of the first leadership team to open East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City, Arkansas. His career also includes serving 13 years as Vice president and Dean of Students at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. He has served as a guest lecturer for twelve years at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Bumphus is a much sought after speaker and consultant. He has consulted at more than 85 community colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico on such topics as Instructional and Administrative Technologies, Designing Model Student Development programs, Instructional Strategies to Attract and Retain High Risk Students, Effective Customer Services, Recruitment and Retention, and Total Quality Management. Dr. Bumphus has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education and to the American Council on Education.

Dr. Bumphus served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges that represents more than 1200 community colleges and ten million students, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education. He most recently received the 1998 National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been recognized with the National Institute for State and Organizational Development (NISOD) 1996 International Leadership Award. His leadership resulted in Brookhaven College receiving the National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness 1995 Quality Organizational Leadership Award. Dr. Bumphus is the recipient of the 1995 Contribution to Knowledge Award presented by the National Council on Student Development and the 1991 Distinguished Service Award presented by the National Council of Black American Affairs.