ISSUED: 9 December 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University President Mary J.C. Hendrix, Ph.D. announced that Stephen Spencer, Ph.D., has been selected as the University’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs, effective June 1, 2022. Spencer currently serves as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Athens State University and executive director of the Alabama Center for the Arts.
“I was drawn to Shepherd from the start,” Spencer said. “It is a public liberal arts university that is intensely focused on student learning and success.”
Spencer was selected after a national search to find a new provost to succeed Dr. Scott Beard, whose sudden death in March 2021 shocked the campus and community. Dr. Ben Martz will continue serving as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs until Spencer’s arrival.
“We are very excited about Dr. Spencer joining us. He brings a wealth of experience in the arts, humanities, and sciences, and is an innovative leader with a successful track record in academic affairs— including curriculum development, accreditation, assessment protocols, and securing extramural grants,” said President Hendrix. “I am especially grateful to the faculty-led search committee for their extraordinary commitment to identifying the best candidate to serve as Shepherd’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs.”The provost’s role encompasses all the academic and research affairs of the university, along with tracking student success and academic and teaching excellence.
“President Hendrix cares deeply about Shepherd students and the larger Shepherd community which has led to Shepherd being well-positioned to address the challenges facing higher education and provide opportunities for students in the state and region,” Spencer said.
Spencer has outlined a number of priorities as he prepares to join Shepherd University, including increasing access to higher education for underrepresented and first-generation students.
“As a first-generation college student myself, I understand the impact of higher education on individuals, their families, and their communities,” Spencer said.
He also noted faculty development and institutional partnerships as other key priorities, adding “as the new provost at Shepherd, I will not ask what we are doing wrong and how we can fix it, but what are we doing right and how we can build on that.”
Spencer brings a long track record of success with him as he enters his new role as provost. While at Athens State University, he developed and implemented the College of Arts and Sciences’ “Plan for Academic Quality and Student Success,” which resulted in a 9.5 percent increase in new student enrollment and an increase in retention rate to 71.5 percent, up from 66.7 percent the previous academic year. Spencer also increased the overall diversity of the College during his time as dean in both the student and faculty populations.
Additionally, he coordinated the development and implementation of new graduate programs, undergraduate degrees, minors, and certificates for the College.
Prior to his time at Athens State University, Spencer held numerous key appointments at the University of Southern Indiana and Wilmington College of Ohio. He also was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in American studies at the Universidad Complutense Madrid.
Spencer holds a Ph.D. in modern American literature and multi-ethnic literature of the United States from the University of Cincinnati, an M.A. in English, and a B.A. in English, with a minor in history, from the University of Dayton.
Dr. Spencer and his wife, Kelly, have two sons: Jackson, who is currently studying music at the Alabama Center for the Arts, and Camden, who is currently in 7th grade.
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