Beheruz Sethna
Encyclopedia
Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna is in his 17th year as Professor of Business at the University of West Georgia
(UWG) and President of the University.
During his tenure, the University of West Georgia has acquired university status, achieved designation as a member of the robust tier of doctoral comprehensive universities, started Georgia's first Advanced Academy for exceptionally gifted high school students, increased in full-time enrollment by approximately 50% with very significant increases in admission standards, increased its investment in students, faculty, and technology by several millions of dollars, increased its endowment to approximately 700% of its 1994 level, increased capital projects and facilities improvements funded and approved by almost a quarter of a billion dollars, obtained its first major endowment to name a College, obtained its first endowed chair, and awarded its first honorary doctorates, obtained approval for its first three doctoral programs, obtained approval for, and created, Georgia's first and only Honors College, earned national accreditation and re-accreditation for practically all eligible programs, achieved national recognition in the field of academic debate, including the winning of two consecutive national championships, achieved national dominance in Honors student research competitions in eight out of the past 12 years, developed and implemented three major strategic plans with campus- wide participation, completed two comprehensive Facilities Master Plans, and documented a rationale for, and obtained approval for, a change in Founding Date.
Approximately 46 percent of all West Georgia degrees awarded through its entire 103-year history have been during Dr. Sethna’s tenure. Close to 90 percent of UWG’s current faculty members have been hired during his tenure.
He has twice served (in 1999-2000, and 2006–07) as Interim Executive/Senior Vice Chancellor for the University System of Georgia with responsibility for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Instructional/Information Technology, and Planning for 35 Research and Comprehensive Universities and Access Institutions, 260,000 students, and 10,000 faculty. Additionally, in 2006-07, he had line responsibility with the Presidents of all 15 Comprehensive Universities reporting to him, accounting for about 40% of the public sector student enrollment in the entire state of Georgia.
Dr. Sethna’s educational credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (at which institution he has been named a Distinguished Alumnus), an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, an M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Columbia University
in New York, and participation in post-doctoral programs at Harvard and Indiana. He is a Certified Computer Professional and a certified Six Sigma Green Belt.
He has been an invited speaker at well over a hundred service club sessions and meetings, and at universities in many U.S. states and foreign countries, including the University of Oxford in England. He has received Resolutions of Commendation from the Senate of the State of Georgia and the Board of Regents, and has been named among the 100 Most Influential Georgians four times (most recently, in 2010). He has also received the prestigious Cornerstone Award from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia – this is not an annual award, but is given infrequently.
Dr. Sethna’s previous work experience includes 13 years at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York (Carnegie classification: Research University with high research activity; Doctoral, STEM dominant) and five years at Lamar University
in Beaumont, Texas
. He held tenured positions at both institutions and a named professorship at Lamar, in addition to administrative positions of increasing responsibility from the department chair to the executive vice president levels. He also has significant corporate experience having worked in major multinational companies in the U.S. and overseas.
Dr. Sethna remains active in teaching and scholarship. He has taught undergraduates every year since arriving at UWG, even while serving in the University System Office. He considers among his highest honors, being elected Honors Professor of the Year and being the faculty advisor for student research teams which won the National Social Sciences Association competition, and for multiple student research teams which have received national recognition at the National Collegiate Honors Council and the National Council for Undergraduate Research. Over the years, seven of his courses (including the one he currently teaches) have won recognition in instructional innovation in nationwide competitions. He is the author or co-author of a book and 65 papers, more than 25 of which have been after becoming President.
Dr. Sethna is the first known person of Indian origin ever to become President of a University anywhere in America. He is also the first person of any ethnic minority to become President of a college or university in Georgia other than a Historically Black one.
Dr. Sethna has held several board memberships and has chaired boards and committees at the state, regional and national levels. For example, he currently is on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, and serves as Chair of the Board of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE), and immediate past Chair of the Board of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and the Policies and Purposes Committee of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). He also serves as AASCU’s national Chair of Asian- American Presidents.
He has had hundreds of media appearances to his credit based on his academic work and his administrative contributions, including the CBS Early Show with Bryant Gumbel and CNN's American Stories. He is a Rotarian with perfect attendance for more than 27 years.
He has been married for more than 36 years to Dr. Madhavi Sethna, a faculty member who has earned her MBA, MA, MS, and an Ed.D. They have two children: Anita Sethna, MD, a Facial Plastics and Board-certified ENT surgeon in Buckhead, who is a graduate of Georgia Tech and Emory Medical School; and Shaun Sethna, JD, a Patent Attorney with a major international corporation in Houston, who is a graduate of Georgia Tech and Columbia Law School.
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
(UWG) and President of the University.
During his tenure, the University of West Georgia has acquired university status, achieved designation as a member of the robust tier of doctoral comprehensive universities, started Georgia's first Advanced Academy for exceptionally gifted high school students, increased in full-time enrollment by approximately 50% with very significant increases in admission standards, increased its investment in students, faculty, and technology by several millions of dollars, increased its endowment to approximately 700% of its 1994 level, increased capital projects and facilities improvements funded and approved by almost a quarter of a billion dollars, obtained its first major endowment to name a College, obtained its first endowed chair, and awarded its first honorary doctorates, obtained approval for its first three doctoral programs, obtained approval for, and created, Georgia's first and only Honors College, earned national accreditation and re-accreditation for practically all eligible programs, achieved national recognition in the field of academic debate, including the winning of two consecutive national championships, achieved national dominance in Honors student research competitions in eight out of the past 12 years, developed and implemented three major strategic plans with campus- wide participation, completed two comprehensive Facilities Master Plans, and documented a rationale for, and obtained approval for, a change in Founding Date.
Approximately 46 percent of all West Georgia degrees awarded through its entire 103-year history have been during Dr. Sethna’s tenure. Close to 90 percent of UWG’s current faculty members have been hired during his tenure.
He has twice served (in 1999-2000, and 2006–07) as Interim Executive/Senior Vice Chancellor for the University System of Georgia with responsibility for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Instructional/Information Technology, and Planning for 35 Research and Comprehensive Universities and Access Institutions, 260,000 students, and 10,000 faculty. Additionally, in 2006-07, he had line responsibility with the Presidents of all 15 Comprehensive Universities reporting to him, accounting for about 40% of the public sector student enrollment in the entire state of Georgia.
Dr. Sethna’s educational credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (at which institution he has been named a Distinguished Alumnus), an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, an M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York, and participation in post-doctoral programs at Harvard and Indiana. He is a Certified Computer Professional and a certified Six Sigma Green Belt.
He has been an invited speaker at well over a hundred service club sessions and meetings, and at universities in many U.S. states and foreign countries, including the University of Oxford in England. He has received Resolutions of Commendation from the Senate of the State of Georgia and the Board of Regents, and has been named among the 100 Most Influential Georgians four times (most recently, in 2010). He has also received the prestigious Cornerstone Award from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia – this is not an annual award, but is given infrequently.
Dr. Sethna’s previous work experience includes 13 years at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York (Carnegie classification: Research University with high research activity; Doctoral, STEM dominant) and five years at Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. He held tenured positions at both institutions and a named professorship at Lamar, in addition to administrative positions of increasing responsibility from the department chair to the executive vice president levels. He also has significant corporate experience having worked in major multinational companies in the U.S. and overseas.
Dr. Sethna remains active in teaching and scholarship. He has taught undergraduates every year since arriving at UWG, even while serving in the University System Office. He considers among his highest honors, being elected Honors Professor of the Year and being the faculty advisor for student research teams which won the National Social Sciences Association competition, and for multiple student research teams which have received national recognition at the National Collegiate Honors Council and the National Council for Undergraduate Research. Over the years, seven of his courses (including the one he currently teaches) have won recognition in instructional innovation in nationwide competitions. He is the author or co-author of a book and 65 papers, more than 25 of which have been after becoming President.
Dr. Sethna is the first known person of Indian origin ever to become President of a University anywhere in America. He is also the first person of any ethnic minority to become President of a college or university in Georgia other than a Historically Black one.
Dr. Sethna has held several board memberships and has chaired boards and committees at the state, regional and national levels. For example, he currently is on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, and serves as Chair of the Board of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE), and immediate past Chair of the Board of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and the Policies and Purposes Committee of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). He also serves as AASCU’s national Chair of Asian- American Presidents.
He has had hundreds of media appearances to his credit based on his academic work and his administrative contributions, including the CBS Early Show with Bryant Gumbel and CNN's American Stories. He is a Rotarian with perfect attendance for more than 27 years.
He has been married for more than 36 years to Dr. Madhavi Sethna, a faculty member who has earned her MBA, MA, MS, and an Ed.D. They have two children: Anita Sethna, MD, a Facial Plastics and Board-certified ENT surgeon in Buckhead, who is a graduate of Georgia Tech and Emory Medical School; and Shaun Sethna, JD, a Patent Attorney with a major international corporation in Houston, who is a graduate of Georgia Tech and Columbia Law School.