Dr. Walter McCollum
Director of Student Programs and Support Services
wmccollum@johnmarshall.eduEducation
B.S, University of the State of New York
M.A., Webster University
Ph.D., Walden University
Military Service
United States Air Force
Career Highlights
Dr. Walter McCollum (Fulbright recipient) has worked in higher education for 18 years at community colleges, 4- year institutions, and online universities. He worked for top multinational corporations as a senior leader in change management, organizational development, quality management, and process improvement. Prior to his corporate experience, Dr. McCollum served in the United States Air Force (Desert Storm Veteran) both abroad and stateside in Information Management and Communication specialties.
As Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College – Richmond, Dr. McCollum increased partnerships and engagement across the Richmond Service Area including five counties (Wayne, Fayette, Randolph, Rush, and Union Counties). He contributed $285M to the President’s Human Capital Campaign $285M – Richmond Campus was #1 in the state for fundraising across 19 campuses. Dr. McCollum advanced Military and Veteran Education, Support, and Resources through the establishment of Walter McCollum Veteran’s Scholarship. He led a campus of 3,500 students and had fiscal responsibility for over $20 million.
As Vice President, Miami Dade College Online, the largest community college in the U.S, Dr. McCollum had oversight of leadership, management, development and distribution of online education programs and courses for over 15,000 students and supported eight campuses and over 100,000 students.
As Dean of Student Affairs for over 50,000 students, Dr. McCollum had oversight of Student Conduct, Military Services, Disability Services, Alumni Affairs, Student Activities/Student Organizations, OMBUDS, and Student Counseling Services. His leadership yielded the result of many “firsts”. In 2017, he spearheaded the establishment of a groundbreaking Divine Nine Alliance (DNA), the first online Black Greek Letter student organization in higher education, where all the divine nine Black fraternities and sororities collaborate to support the institution’s mission on positive social change. In 2018, he established a partnership with The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the largest leadership organization in the United States, and increased membership by 13,000 within three months of chapter launch. As a result, Walden University had the largest induction in NSLS’s 20-year history. In 2019, he spearheaded the establishment of the first digital Fulbright Chapter in the 42-year history of Fulbright, providing broader national and international access for Fulbright scholars to connect minds and hearts for global change. Dr. McCollum served on the board of directors for both The National Society of Leadership and Success and Fulbright Association, National Capital Area Chapter. He was recently appointed Chair, Fulbright Association, National Board of Directors.
As a professor of 17 years, Dr. McCollum has taught at many institutions at all degree levels and served on over 100 dissertation committees across multiple disciplines to include, but not limited to, business, psychology, education, public policy, management, and leadership. His book “How to Use Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence to Mentor Doctoral Learners: Best Practices and Tools to Help Mentors and Doctoral Learners Navigate the Dissertation Process” was reviewed and adopted by Kansas State University which published the book review in Adult Learning Journal.
As a Corporate leader at Sodexo, Dr. McCollum oversaw the national strategy for HONOR (military business resource group) and partnered with former First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden on the Joining Forces Initiative. As a result, Sodexo was able to hire 13,000 military veterans and family members over a three year period.
Dr. McCollum is passionate about impacting positive social change globally. As a Fulbright recipient (2019), he completed a Fulbright grant with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Amman Jordan, to evaluate the selection and evaluation processes for hiring university presidents in public universities in Jordan. He also designed/developed/automated rubrics for the search and evaluation processes and provided recommendations for the academic congressional mandate for hiring university presidents in the Kingdom of Jordan.
In Komga, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Dr. McCollum mentored an educator in the Local Township on the teacher certification process and the establishment of a nonprofit organization. In Cahuita, Costa Rica, he led a delegation and assessed international development opportunities on an Indigenous Reservation and rebuilt homes to coincide with the Costa Rican culture of cooking on open fire. In Carrefour, Haiti he led a delegation to explore a partnership with Quisqueya University to identify opportunities to create student exchange programs and opportunities to bring technology into the Haitian educational system. In 2018, Dr. McCollum built a primary school in Haiti (with 208 students in the inaugural class/50 percent boys and 50 percent girls) to improve literacy and gender inequality.
He holds an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Business Management from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Arts/Psychology from The University of the State of New York SUNY Albany; Master of Arts Degree in Management from Webster University; and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), in Applied Management and Decision Sciences with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Change from Walden University.
Dr. McCollum is an Association for Governing Boards Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education Fellow (class of 2020), and a Penn State Academic Leadership Academy graduate. He is a peer evaluator with both the Higher Learning Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. He has written and published eight books and published in several peer reviewed journals. His doctoral research (2004) was “Process Improvement in Quality Management Systems: Case Study Analyzing Carnegie Mellon’s Capability Maturity Model.
Dr. McCollum has earned several awards, to include, but not limited to:
Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award, Walden University, 2014 Executive Leadership Award, Sodexo Military Business Resource Group, 2012 Extraordinary Faculty of the Year, Walden University, 2011.
Dr. McCollum’s military awards include:
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two devices
Air Force Commendation Medal with one device
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two devices
National Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
NCO Professional Military Education with one device
NCO Leadership Academy Distinguished Graduate Award
NCO Leadership Academy Military Citizenship Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one device
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Air Force Longevity Service Award with two devices
Air Force Training Ribbon
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon
Air Force Good Conduct Medal with three devices
Dr. McCollum is also a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Publications
Unveiling the Untold Truth About Haiti, Book, 2026
Gratitude in the Midst of Storms: A Memoir of Fortitude, Resilience and Triumph, Book, 2024
Chiawah, T., Dzekashu, W. G., McCollum, W. R., & Fomuso, E. “Local Governments: Outcomes of Enterprise Resource Planning System on Organizational Productivity.” International Journal of Applied Management and Technology 1 (2022): 14-30.
Edmundson, Marquay, and McCollum, Walter R. “Exploring Critical Success Factors for Data Integration and Decision-Making in Law Enforcement.” International Journal of Applied Management and Technology 1 (2019): 4.
Black Men Changing the Narrative Through Education, Book, 2018
Purpose, Hope and Determination: Transitioning from Ordinary to Extraordinary, Book, 2016
How to Use Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence to Mentor Doctoral Learners: Best Practices and Tools to Help Doctoral Learners Navigate the Dissertation Process, Book, 2014
Dzekashu, William G., and McCollum, Walter R. “A Quality Approach to Tacit Knowledge Capture: Effective Practice to Achieving Operational Excellence.” International Journal of Applied Management and Technology1 (2014): 4.
Mentoring in the 21st Century: A Compilation of Life Altering Experiences, Book, 2011
Applied Change Management: Approaches to Organizational Change and Transformation, Book, 2007
Strength of a Black Man: Destined for Self-Empowerment, Book, 2006
Process Improvement in Quality Management Systems: Case Study of Carnegie Mellon’s Capability Maturity Model, Book, 2004
Center of Education Excellence: Understanding the Role of Biometrics and Information Assurance within DoD, IA Newsletter, Volume 5, Number 4, Winter 2002/2003
Media, Public & Professional Appearances
Presented “Entrepreneurs’ Capital Acquisition Challenges in Brooklyn, New York: A Qualitative Phenomenological Analysis” at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research Studies, The Georgetown University, Washington DC, 2015
Presented “Computer-Mediated Communication and Self-Efficacy in Online Learning” at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research Studies, The Georgetown University, Washington DC, 2015
Presented “Rebuilding Haiti’s Educational Access: A Phenomenological Study of Technology Use in Education Delivery” at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research Studies, The Georgetown University, Washington DC, 2015
Conference Co-chair “International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research Studies” The Georgetown University, 2015
Presented “Continuing the Legacy: Developing Emerging Leaders of Tomorrow” University of the District of Columbia, 2014
Presented “Business Perspectives: Innovation in Emerging Markets” Walden University’s 5th Academic Congress, Puebla, Mexico, 2014
Presented “Ambiguity between Human Resources, Organizational Development and Diversity and Inclusion in Global Organizations,” Diversity Inc. Conference, 2012
Presented “Process Improvement in Government Organizations: An Overview of ISO 9001,” National Blacks in Government Training Conference, 2004