Dr. William D. Schafer has been appointed interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UNCW, the university announced today. His appointment will be effective July 1 and continue until the position is filled.
He will replace Dr. Lowell K. Davis, who has accepted the position of Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Davis will be leaving his current role at UNCW on July 8.
“Dr. Schafer’s leadership and vast experience in student affairs will be a great asset during the division’s transitional period,” said Chancellor Aswani K. Volety. “He has a national reputation as an advocate for students and educational experiences beyond the classroom, attributes that align with our values and mission at UNCW.”
Dr. Schafer is a veteran student affairs professional with more than 40 years in higher education. He has held leadership positions at West Virginia University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at El Paso and CU Boulder. He recently served as interim vice president for student affairs at the Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and as interim vice president and dean of students at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
He has also served in several national organizations, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, his master’s degree in guidance and counseling, and his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Curriculum from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also completed a Management Development Program at Harvard University.
The university plans to conduct a national search for the position. The search committee will work with Lynn Duffy, Senior Associate Vice President for Leadership Development and Talent Acquisition at the UNC System office. The search will be led by Dr. James Winebrake, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Search committee members include:
- Myra Blow, Executive Director of Resource Administration, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
- Leslie Hudson, Debt Services Advisor, Business Affairs
- Lindsay LeRoy, Executive Director of the Alumni Association
- Lori Preiss, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources
- Dr. Colleen Reilly, Faculty Senate President (effective July 1)
- Dr. Donyell Roseboro, Chief Diversity Officer
- John Scherer, General Counsel
- Susan Smith, Staff Senate Chair
- Skyler Stein, SGA Vice President
- Tiffany Tucker, Deputy Athletic Director
