Dr. John Planchon, associate professor of business at Rhodes, was presented the 2014 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service at the college’s Opening Convocation Aug. 22. The program marked the start of the college’s 166th session.
The Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service honors a current faculty member who has rendered exemplary service and provided leadership to the Rhodes community. It is presented in memory of Dr. Jameson M. Jones ’36 who served as professor of moral philosophy and dean of the college from 1955 to 1971.
Planchon joined the Rhodes faculty in 1986 and has served in various roles at the college as dean of academic affairs, associate dean, director of the Meeman Center, department chair, chair of numerous faculty committees, and the director of a highly successful study-abroad program.
He also developed and supervises a summer program for Rhodes students in international branding taught in Antwerp, Belgium and Reims, France. Uniquely combining business and the liberal arts, the program fills to capacity within days or even hours of its announcement. Planchon’s nominators wrote that the program’s success is due to the fact that “it is well administered, it is well taught, the subject matter is relevant, and students are engaged.” Another colleague noted that “This has been an enormously popular and unique program and a valuable experience for our graduates. It will always distinguish their Rhodes education from any other.”
“Professor Planchon’s impact on the Rhodes educational program is undeniable,” said Dean of the Faculty Milton Moreland in presenting Planchon the Jameson M. Jones Award.
As chair of his department, Planchon shepherded the M.S. in Accounting program through its approval and accreditation. He also helped institute and supervise a New York trip for business students, arranging for students to meet with Rhodes alumni and other contacts in key New York institutions. He has established several upper-division case-based courses which enhance students’ critical thinking and writing skills, including the team-taught business senior seminar.
In other areas of service, Planchon has served three terms on the Tenure and Promotion Committee, and most recently, he served as chair of the Standards and Standing Committee, earning his colleagues’ praise for bringing together diverse perspectives with the unifying goal of equity for all students.
A colleague noted that “he has worked sacrificially for the advancement of the college’s mission and the betterment of students individually and as a whole.”
As recipient of the Jameson M. Jones Award, Planchon joins a distinguished group of faculty who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and outstanding commitment to service.