News
December 3, 2015John Ebersole Inducted into International Adult & Continuing Education Hall of Fame
Excelsior College today announced that President John Ebersole has been inducted into the International Adult & Continuing Education Hall of Fame (IACE). The induction ceremony was held on November 18 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in conjunction with the annual AAACE Conference. The 2015 class is comprised of 25 inductees from 10 countries, and includes four posthumous awardees.
In announcing his induction, IACE recognized Dr. Ebersole as an international leader in prior learning assessment, degree completion, and the use of instructional technology, as well as a passionate advocate on behalf of adult and online learners.
“Given the prominence of those in this year’s class, as well as that of past recipients, I must admit that I was humbled – and truly honored – when told of my induction,” said Ebersole. “Having earned my first two degrees while in the Coast Guard, I learned early on the challenges facing adult learners. Those personal experiences continue to inform my approach to post-traditional education to this day.”
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015, the IACE Hall of Fame was created by former dean of Continuing Education at the University of Oklahoma, Thurman White in the mid-1980s. It was created to honor leaders in the fields of continuing education and adult learning and to serve as a record and inspiration for the next generation of leaders. To date there are about
300 inductees, including former First Lady Barbara Bush, Russ Mawby, Chairman Emeritus of the Kellogg Foundation, and Morris Keeton, the founder of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
A retired Coast Guard commander and Vietnam veteran, Ebersole began his college education while in the military. In addition to being a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, he earned a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University, an EdS from The George Washington University, and master’s degrees in both business and public administration from John F. Kennedy University. He has served as a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he conducted research into innovation in higher education.
Ebersole currently chairs the American Association of Community Colleges Corporate Council and serves as a member of the board of directors of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (New York). He has been named to the ACE Presidential Innovation Lab and previously served as chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Lifelong Learning. He is also the co-author (with William Patrick) of “Courageous Learning:
Finding A New Path Through Higher Education” (Hudson Whitman Press/Excelsior College Press, 2011). The book was recently turned into “ Courageous Learning: The Documentary” (Ellucian).
In 2014, Ebersole was inducted into the United States Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame.
