Ginger Robbins Joins Mississippi College Staff as Registrar

Ginger Robbins

Mississippi College’s new registrar, Ginger Turner Robbins, will bring extensive administrative experience after serving in a similar post at Hinds Community College.

Robbins has worked as district registrar and director of admissions and records since October 2006 at the Raymond-based two-year college.

On June 1, Robbins joins the MC staff and will get a little help from the person she will succeed. Robbins will work closely in a transition process with retiring MC registrar Cathy Van Devender, who will step down in July.

Robbins is excited about her new higher education opportunity in Hinds County.

“Mississippi College has a distinguished reputation for outstanding academic excellence and steadfast Christian values,” Robbins said Wednesday. “I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to serve alongside faculty, staff and administrators committed to equipping students academically, emotionally and spiritually for life’s journeys.”

A 1989 Hinds graduate, Robbins received a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology from Mississippi State University, a master’s in recreational therapy from the University of South Alabama and completed coursework on a doctorate in human capital development at the University of Southern Mississippi. Shortly, she will begin work on her doctoral thesis at USM.

MC Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Howard applauded the hiring of Robbins, but also praised Van Devender for five years of extraordinary service. It’s the second retirement for Van Devender. She earlier retired from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Van Devender “has presided over significant advances in academic record keeping and related student advising and registration services at MC,” Howard said.

MC enrollment has been steadily climbing in recent years and topped 5,000 students for the first time in August 2010.

Van Devender has been a superb leader, he said, in projects dealing with student records and a system to enhance curriculum planning for students and faculty advisors.

Robbins is well-qualified with her education and experience that will enable student services to advance as registrar at the Christian university, Howard said.

MC’s new registrar is “dedicated to data-driven decision-making, and devoted to serving students,” Howard added.

Robbins, who grew up in Raymond, is a graduate of Raymond High School. She also worked as publications coordinator/administrative assistant at Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala. from 2003 until 2006. She served as director of workforce training projects at Hinds Community College in 2006 before becoming district registrar. Robbins also spent 2003-2004 as a fitness instructor and membership services director at the YMCA of South Alabama in Mobile.

Robbins comes to the Clinton campus with solid MC connections. She’s married to Lt. Colonel Danny Robbins, who is well known for his outstanding service with ROTC programs at both Mississippi College and Hinds Community College. The couple resides in Canton.

The transition for Robbins “will be very smooth,” Van Devender says.” She will be a great asset to Mississippi College. Ginger brings valuable experience to the position which, I am sure, will translate into fresh points of view for serving students, faculty and staff at MC.”

As she wraps up her five years of service at Mississippi College, Van Devender says her tenure on the Clinton campus was very rewarding. “I have renewed some old friendships and made many new friends. The MC family has been supportive of me and the staff in the Office of Registrar.”

Van Devender plans to spend more time with family members, including four grandchildren, and step up her travel agenda, including an Alaskan cruise in August.