Spectrum - Volume 18 Issue 30 May 2, 1996 - Goss named RPM professor

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Goss named RPM professor

By Nancy Templeman

Spectrum Volume 18 Issue 30 - May 2, 1996

The first and only Residential Property Management bachelor's-degree program in the country has its first named professor.

Rosemary C. Goss was named the Residential Property Management Advisory Board professor by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors at its spring meeting. Goss, who was promoted to full professor at the same meeting, is a faculty member of the Department of Housing, Interior Design, and Resource Management in the College of Human Resources.

She has been instrumental in the development of the RPM program at Tech and has recently been working with other schools across the country to help them establish similar programs. She holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University with a specialty in housing. Her dedication to both undergraduate and graduate instruction was acknowledged when she was awarded the College of Human Resources Certificate of Teaching Excellence.

Goss is president of the American Association of Housing Educators, is an associate editor of the AAHE journal, Housing and Society , and served as the annual AAHE conference program chair. Goss has conducted research related to the housing constraints of rural families, as well as the housing needs of all families, and published her research in numerous journals. The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences recognized Goss's accomplishments with its New Achievers Award.

Goss also works closely with professionals in housing and housing management. She chaired the National Apartment Association Certified Apartment Manager subcommittee, received an NAA presidential appointment to the association's Education Task Force, and is currently a member of the program committee for the NAA's 1997 annual meeting.

She has made frequent presentations to professional audiences, most recently as the principal facilitator of a property-management continuing-education program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

By working together, the College of Human Resources and the property management industry established the country's first four-year degree program in residential property management in 1985. Through the generosity of the firms and individuals affiliated with the RPM Advisory Board, the industry also established the endowed RPM Advisory Board Professorship, the first in the college.

In addition to the endowment for the professorship, the industry has contributed nearly $285,000 to the program in support of student scholarships, professional-development seminars, graduate teaching assistantships, and in-service training for faculty members. The advisory board meets with faculty members each spring and fall to discuss the latest information on industry changes and needs. Many members also meet with the Student Association of Residential Property Managers throughout the year, serve as guest lecturers in the classroom, sponsor field trips, and act as mentors for interns.

The Virginia Tech RPM program has the distinction of being the only four-year degree program in the country officially recognized by the National Apartment Association. Normally a person must have two years experience in apartment management to become eligible to sit for the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) examination. The association has waived that requirement for students in the RPM program.

Seniors are entitled to sit for the CAM examination by virtue of having completed the RPM curriculum and their internships.