After an exhaustive search, the Board of Trustees has chosen Dr. Scott Berthiaume to become the third president of Dallas International University on July 1, 2022, following the June 30th retirement of Dr. Douglas Tiffin.
In 2017, after Doug left his role as Dean of Academic Affairs to become president, he brought Scott to DIU to fill that role. As academic dean, Scott has overseen the school’s academic programs and served as the liaison with the school’s accrediting agency. In the process, he has grown the school’s reputation as an academic powerhouse for language and culture studies.
Scott says his experience as the academic dean has prepared him to be president by teaching him to “own the mission of the school,” especially in terms of emphasizing the spiritual formation required for effective, long-term field service.
As for his hopes for his tenure as president? Scott anticipates growing the school’s endowment ten-fold to provide subsidies for professors who often struggle to raise support. But he says the most significant change he hopes to see is the incorporation of hands-on internships and practicums into all of DIU’s degrees.
Scott isn’t the only one who’s eagerly anticipating the change. Doug says two of Scott’s biggest strengths are his deep understanding of the school’s academic programs and his standing in the Bible translation community. In an interview he said, “Scott has wisely revamped almost every one of our degrees to make sure that it is meeting the current and hopefully future needs of Bible translation.”
While the community will miss Doug’s able leadership, the tone on campus is one of gratitude for God’s faithfulness in bringing Scott to the role. Dr. Michael Boutin, Chair of the Applied Linguistics department, said in an interview that two of the biggest strengths Scott will bring to the new role are his field experience and his skill at networking with other organizations. “He’s got these strong Mexico roots … He’s been out there doing this stuff — getting his hands dirty — that’s what we’re all about at this school. Scott is very good at networking with other organizations. So, I think when you put together his experience and his networking giftings, that’s going to be really good for us.”
Tieg L., President of the Student Body Association, highlighted Scott’s networking skills as well, saying in an interview that Scott is “somebody who has … a lot of experience with developing partnerships between DIU and other schools.”
In a statement announcing Scott’s appointment, David Harrell, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said, “Dr. Berthiaume brings academic strength and cross-cultural living experience to the position. As an active scholar, he has a broad publishing record related to linguistics and culture.” The announcement also highlighted his long record of service in academic administrative roles.
Before joining the senior staff at DIU, Scott, with his wife, Tonia, and their children, lived in Mexico for 20 years. Scott was a linguist-translator with SIL working with the Pamé people. During his time there, God began preparing him for his next role by guiding him into a variety of administrative positions at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí.
