Angelo State University Names New Freshman College Dean

Angelo State University’s Freshman College has named Dr. John Wegner as dean of the Freshman College, said a press release Wednesday.

According to the press release, Wegner, a member of ASU’s English faculty since 1997, has served as the interim dean since Jan. 1 and oversees the Freshman College, which includes components designed to help freshman make the transition to college-level academics and remain in school until graduation. These components include:

• Pre-declared advising for students who have not yet chosen a major.
• Offering study skill strategies for more than 100 courses through the Tutoring Center and Math Lab.
• Providing a peer-led group study program through supplemental instruction.
• Focusing on San Angelo area high school students for the Up & Coming Scholars Program.
• Identifying and assisting struggling students through the Early Alert Program.
• Familiarizing freshman with campus resources and encouraging them to form bonds with their professors and classmates through Signature Courses.

Wegner will report to Dr. Donald R. Topliff, ASU provost/vice president for academic affairs, said the press release.

“Dr. Wegner has been instrumental in the development of the Signature Courses that all incoming freshman are required to take,” Topliff said. “This past fall semester, there were 50 sections of that course, a key in our retention efforts at the university. I admire his dedication to and advocacy for our students, particularly the new freshman.”

Wegner, a native of the Texas Gulf Coast and a tenured professor of English, earned his doctorate at the University of North Texas. He served as the director of ASU’s Undergraduate Research Initiative from 2012-15 and was director of ASU’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Research from 2010-14. He has served as the faculty athletic representative, a liaison between athletics and academics to ensure the well-being of student athletes, for the past five years. He was also interim chair of the Department of English for 2008-09.

Initially, Dr. Wegner started at ASU as a specialist in research writing and has expanded his publishing experience to include fiction. In January, he published a collection of short fiction, “Love is Not a Dirty Word, and Other Stories,” through Lamar University Press. He has also previously published short fiction in New Texas Journal of the American Studies Association and ASU’s Concho River Review literary journal. He has also published article on Cormac McCarthy, Juan Felipe Herrera and other American writers.

Wegner is the second dean of the Freshman College, which was founded in 2012. The first dean, Dr. Andrew Wallace, an ASU professor of physics, stepped down to return to his faculty role.