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MSU President Wayne D. Andrews Announces Planned Retirement

MSU

Following the MSU Board of Regents quarterly work session on Friday, May 13, Morehead State University President Wayne D. Andrews announced his intention to retire from the presidency effective June 30, 2017.

    

"Sue and I have been discussing retirement with our family for the past year. After considerable thought and prayer, we believe now is the time to give the Board notice of our intention to retire. When I was selected as president in January 2005, I told the Board that I would invest all of the personal and professional energy I had into leading this great university," said Dr. Andrews. "I am very proud of what we've accomplished, and I look forward to leaving Morehead State University on a solid foundation upon which the next president will continue to build."

Paul C. Goodpaster, Chair of the Board of Regents, outlined a process for selecting MSU's next president. "We will engage the services of a national search firm to assist the Board in conducting an exhaustive search to find the right person to lead our great university going forward. A search and screening advisory committee will be established in due course."

Goodpaster recounted some of the accomplishments during Andrews' time in leadership at MSU. He noted that Andrews' mantra has been to "plan the work and work the plan." The results of careful planning have yielded a clear focus on the direction that the University is heading to become the "Best Regional University in the South."   Academically, the University was reaccredited in 2011, and began offering its first doctoral degree program in education in 2010.   Andrews was the driving force behind the establishment of The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a dual-credit residential high school for academically exceptional Kentucky students on MSU's main campus.  

The University has constructed three state-of-the-art education buildings during his tenure.   The Center for Health, Education and Research, in conjunction with St. Claire Regional Medical Center and the University of Kentucky, houses the University's nursing and imaging sciences programs. The Equine Health Education Center complete with a surgical suite and a large animal veterinary clinic so students learn with the most technologically advanced equipment used in real-life situations. The Space Science Center houses the University's space science program, one of only five of its kind in the nation.

Student life also has significantly improved during Dr. Andrews' presidency. The University has refreshed six residence halls, built two new residence halls at the University Farm, and is in the process of building a new 550-bed hall on the main campus. The wired and wireless information technology infrastructure throughout campus will be updated by fall 2016. Students will begin to enjoy a new dining hall near the residence halls in 2018, as well as a parking garage.

The University conducted its first comprehensive capital campaign under Andrews' leadership. The Campaign goal of $25M has been exceeded by $14M to date. The University's endowment has grown from $19.2M in 2004 to $43M currently.

"President Andrews has brought tremendous energy to his work at MSU. He has had a remarkable impact on the campus and in the community. He has earned the respect of his colleagues throughout higher education in Kentucky and beyond," said Goodpaster.

Dr. Andrews, a New England native who made Appalachia his adopted home, has served as the 13 th president of MSU since January 1, 2005. He is a graduate of Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts where he earned a B.S. degree in 1974, and of West Virginia University where he received a master's in 1976 and a doctorate in 1977.   He has served in a variety of roles, including tenured professorships, department chair, executive assistant to the president, vice president for student affairs, vice president for administration and vice president for administration and chief operating officer.   He was recognized in 1993 with his selection as a Fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE).

"Serving as president of MSU has been the highlight of my 40 years in higher education," Dr. Andrews shared with MSU faculty and staff in attendance at the specially called convocation. "I will continue to lead the University with enthusiasm and focus to ensure that MSU is positioned as well as possible for my successor in 2017."