Bethany Meighen ’15 Ed.D.

Bethany Meighen '15 Ed.D. has been named the 13th President at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. Dr. Meighen, the first to earn a doctorate in Higher Education from UNCW’s Watson College of Education, most recently served as Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs in the UNCW System Office. She will begin her new role on July 1, succeeding longtime Concord President Kendra Boggess, who is retiring.

Concord’s Board of Governors announced the unanimous selection of Meighen as the school’s 13th president on April 18.

“Dr. Meighen’s strong background in higher education administration and her experience shaping policies related to admissions and student support services position her to strengthen and cultivate the strategically sound foundation President Kendra Boggess has built over her tenure,” Board Chairman Dave Barnette said in a news release. “The Board of Governors is grateful for the work the Presidential Search Committee has done over several months leading up to this decision, and we look forward to what the future brings.”

Meighen holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Charleston, where she served as the Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, Director of Marketing and Alumni Relations, and Dean of Student Life prior to enrolling in the doctoral program at UNCW’s Watson College. While on the UNCW campus, she excelled academically and served as a graduate assistant (GA) in WCE’s Educational Leadership Department for three years assisting faculty with scholarly research projects and providing administrative support on student recruitment, orientation and other initiatives.

Meighen joined the UNC System Office in October 2015 as an advisor for the UNC Association of Student Governments in the Academic and Student Affairs Department. She most recently served as the chief student affairs officer and a key liaison between the UNC System Office and its 17 constituent institutions.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see Dr. Meighen selected for this top Leadership role,” said Andrew Ryder, chair of WCE’s Department of Educational Leadership and co-chair of Meighen’s dissertation committee along with Dr. Susan Catapano. “When she graduated, we said there could be no greater role model for the very first doctoral graduate from the Higher Education specialization at the Watson College. We are confident she will excel in her new role, and wish her all the best.”

Media Coverage

• West Virginia Public Broadcasting, April 18 Concord Announces New President
• MetroNews, May 18 Meighen chosen as new president at Concord University
• WOAY, April 18 Concord University selects new president