Dr. Tiffany McKillip Franks became the President of Averett University on July 1, 2008, and she is the first woman to hold the post since the University’s founding in 1859. During her tenure, the University has realized record enrollments in the traditional undergraduate program and has completed its first comprehensive capital campaign with the second campaign underway — securing almost $40 million, including $5.3 million for a significant expansion in the health sciences and over $15 million for major facilities improvements, including the new Schoolfield House Booksellers, the Galesi Family Student Success Center, Averett Central, the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center, the Frank R. Campbell Stadium, and the renovation of the University’s historic Main Hall. In addition, the University opened its Riverview Campus in Danville’s River District.
New academic programs have been launched for undergraduates in nursing and criminal justice and new graduate programs have been launched in criminal justice administration and leadership, applied data analytics, education, and nursing; and new intercollegiate athletics programs have been added in men’s and women’s lacrosse, wrestling and esports. A Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness has been established linking the University to the surrounding region in ways that improve student’s lives as well as the surrounding community.
With more than 30 years of senior-level administrative experience in higher education that began when she was 23 as a dean of students, Franks’ leadership style and problem-solving expertise have led her through executive positions in admissions, financial aid, student life, marketing and communications, public relations, and fundraising. Prior to taking the helm at Averett, she served as the Executive Vice President at Greensboro College in North Carolina.
Franks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Dominican University; a Master of Science degree in Education from The Ohio State University; and a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania.
She is married to Joe Franks who is a high school teacher, head men’s and women’s golf coach at Grimsley High School, and the assistant director of the North Carolina Coaches Association.
