Billy K. Cannaday Jr. announced that he will retire from his position as dean of the University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and vice provost for academic outreach on Sept. 1 after almost seven years in the office.
Until a permanent replacement is chosen in 2017, Steven Laymon, the school’s associate dean for academic programs and services, will serve as interim dean.
Since Cannaday’s appointment to the position of dean in October 2008, he helped launch and expand online degree programs, collaborated with Chinese educators and worked on outlining the University’s plans for academic outreach. Cannaday is also the vice president of the State Board of Education.
“While I am retiring from the University, I will be pursuing the next chapter of my life,” Cannaday said. “I will find ways to serve because I have benefited from the service of others, so I see this as a stage of my life’s journey.”
During Cannaday’s time at the University, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies created an online degree — the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management — in order to cater to the busy lives of working professionals. This is the University’s first degree that can be earned entirely online.
“Working adults really wanted to have flexibility in terms of how they pursued their continued learning,” Cannaday said. “It’s a combination of market need and demand, willing faculty and students who saw [the online program] as a great way to resolve some of the challenges in trying to continue their learning.”
Cannaday said he first understood the power of technology around 20 years ago when he was involved in K-12 education.
“Back in the 90s when I was a superintendent down in Hampton, Virginia … we were teaching third graders how technology could help them in solving problems and communicating messages,” Cannaday said. “I remember watching third, fourth, fifth graders doing things that you never would imagine adults would do.”
Cannaday also assisted in providing access to the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies — a part-time degree offered through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies — through Northern Virginia Community College’s Loudoun campus, Richmond and Thomas Nelson Community College’s Williamsburg campus.
Cannaday and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies have also been part of the University’s work with Chinese educators. Cannaday traveled to China twice with University President Teresa Sullivan and other colleagues. His most recent visit was this spring.
“The Chinese are very interested in the best universities in our country … and U.Va was on that list,” Cannaday said. “Because we’ve been responsive to their need and demand for trying to provide high quality education for their young people and adults, they continue to come to U.Va.”
This collaborative partnership with Chinese educators has resulted in more than 1,000 Chinese professionals visiting the University to understand the ways in which Americans teach higher education — one important aspect was student engagement.
“You don’t simply lecture,” Cannaday said. “You try to make certain that there is a discussion around major themes, and that people begin to become more critical in their thinking and their responses to challenging questions.”
As a result of these efforts, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies received a designation as a preferred training site for higher education faculty and administrators, which Cannaday called a “commendable recognition.”
In his work with the Board of Education, Cannaday was first appointed six years ago by former Gov. Tim Kaine to replace a member who could not complete his term. Cannaday was then reappointed by former Gov. Bob McDonnell and current Gov. Terry McAuliffe, making him one of few to serve on the board for more than eight years.
Cannaday was elected by his peers on the Board as vice president in March. He will continue on the Board of Education after his retirement until the end of the term in 2019.
“[My responsibilities are] to work with my colleagues to set policy that really does benefit the public education system across the commonwealth for students, faculty, administrators and communities,” Cannaday said. “I’m looking forward to providing leadership to help serve K-12 students in the best way possible.”
The search for Cannaday’s successor to the office of Dean of Continuing and Professional Studies will begin after his Sept. 1 retirement. In the meantime, Laymon, the school’s associate dean for academic programs and services, was chosen as the interim dean on Cannaday’s recommendation.
“I am very pleased that [Laymon] will be carrying on the work until the search is completed, and I’m hoping that the search will also identify him as the permanent dean,” Cannaday said. “He has a real passion for serving adult learners, so with the faculty and staff here, he’ll do just fine.”
While reflecting on his time as dean, Cannaday said, “I would view myself as a public servant leader. Because of that, I found working in the education space, both K-12 and higher ed, very fulfilling, not just professionally but personally.”
Cannaday’s involvement in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies is made evident through the importance he places on adult learners.
“My job as a leader is to make certain that the system works better than when I found it to help students fulfill their dreams and their ambitions,” Cannaday said. “If it is a legacy, it is to make certain that we don’t forget that learning is a lifelong pursuit.”
During his retirement, Cannaday said he plans to travel with his wife and play golf a few times a week. However, his efforts in the public education sphere are far from over.
“I don’t feel my age, so I don’t act like I’m 65,” Cannaday said. “I plan to continue to engage in activities where I can serve the public.”
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