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Newberry College Trustees Approve Contract Extension for President Scherrens

Newberry College Trustees Approve Contract Extension for President Scherrens

June 23, 2016

The Newberry College Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to extend the contract of the College’s president, Dr. Maurice W. Scherrens, for an additional four years.

Scherrens was inaugurated Aug. 13, 2012, and will embark on his fifth year leading the Lutheran private college with the start of the 2016/2017 academic year in August.

“President Scherrens has done an outstanding job in forging and strengthening relationships with our students, employees, alumni, donors and community leaders,” said Hugo A. “Hap” Pearce, Chairman of the Newberry College Board of Trustees. “He has helped cultivate a culture of optimism and trust that will drive our continued success.”

The Board of Trustees cited a variety of success factors that informed its decision to extend Scherrens’ contract as president:

ACCREDITATION: Achieved full reaffirmation of accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (December 2014).
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: Added new industry-focused, in demand majors, including RN to BSN, Healthcare Management, Criminal Justice and Digital Marketing; and partnerships with regional institutions for specialized programs and graduate/professional studies.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT: Retooled financial aid matrix to increase scholarship support for a greater number of students, streamlined the enrollment process and improved freshmen-to-sophomore retention.
FINANCIAL: Improved financial health of the College by reducing borrowing and developing a five-year financial plan.
FUNDRAISING: Launched a $35 million capital campaign(the first comprehensive capital campaign in college history), achieved record-breaking fundraising results with increases in endowment, unrestricted giving, annual fund, planned giving and percentage of alumni giving.

During spring semester 2016, Scherrens initiated a campuswide program prioritization process. This self-study process will serve as one of the foundation pieces for the strategic planning process for 2018 and beyond.

“With the support of a strong Board of Trustees and a highly qualified and dedicated faculty and staff, we have developed a shared governance culture to effectively pursue an ambitious strategic plan while sustaining a student-focused environment,” Scherrens said. “We have achieved a great deal during our first four years, but much more remains to be done. Today, we are well-positioned to elevate the College through a variety of strategic initiatives to become one of the leading private liberal arts colleges in the region.”