Dr. Jessica Bailey became interim president at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) on July 1, 2015. She joined FVSU as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs in July 2014.

Founded in 1895, FVSU is one of Georgia’s two land-grant institutions and one of three public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)  in the state. 

Standing on the legacy of a land-grant institution and focused on serving the state of Georgia is important to FVSU’s future.  Bailey said that the mission of FVSU is to transform the lives of young people while fulfilling the university’s mission as a land-grant institution.

 “We will continue to do what HBCU’s have been doing in the past and that is to provide an educational opportunity for students who may not otherwise have an opportunity for higher education,” Bailey said.  “The land-grant side of the equation is we have a mission to serve the state of Georgia, the entire state." 

“Our mission is one of outreach, extension, cooperation, and working closely with the community,” said Bailey. “What has been done over the past 120 years is work intensively in the areas of agriculture and sustainability, food production, and methods of feeding the world. We have also helped small farmers and ranchers who are seeking ways to improve their prospects in the agricultural industry.” 

Bailey has established three goals for this academic year:  to increase enrollment of students, review programs offered, and raise and enhance the university’s reputation.

“We have been aggressively marketing the university and have revamped the admission process,” said Bailey. “We are welcoming more students to our campus and admitting more students. We are expecting to have a considerable growth in enrollment for this coming fall semester and into the future.” 

FVSU offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 35 majors including agriculture, science, education and business. Master’s degrees are offered in education, counseling, environmental health, and biotechnology. Online programs designed for working adults and non-traditional students are also available. 

“We have many programs at Fort Valley State, but some only have a few students,” said Bailey. “We need to decrease the number of low enrolled programs and increase the number of programs that will be attractive to students, programs that are 21st century majors and that lead to jobs that are available to students. We want to look at all the programs offered and move toward a revamping or modernizing of our program portfolio.” 

Enhancing the reputation and promoting the important work being completed by Fort Valley State University’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni is an important part of Bailey’s focus as interim president.

“We have a lot of programs that enhance not only the academic life of the students but also their cultural enrichment and social lives,” said Bailey. “We have a lot of initiatives that we have undertaken and summer programs on campus. These are the kinds of things that we are trying to publicize.”

When Bailey arrived at FVSU in July 2014, she wanted to make a contribution to the university.

“I wanted new challenges, first of all, and I had graduated from an HBCU and worked at HBCUs in the past,” Bailey said. “I was interested in taking my skills to an HBCU campus and I was drawn to the excellent programs at Fort Valley State.” 

Before arriving at FVSU, Bailey held the position of dean of the School of Business and Economics at Winston-Salem State University, in North Carolina. During her tenure, she initiated an academic reorganization and secured a $1.25 million grant in support of the university. She also successfully chaired the school’s reaffirmation of AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation.

Bailey earned two master’s degrees, an M.Ed. in vocational rehabilitation counseling from Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland and a MBA from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Bailey later earned a doctorate in marketing from the University of Missouri-Columbia.