The William Woods University Board of Trustees has announced Dr. Jeremy Moreland, 49, as the 13th president of the university.
Moreland is the provost and chief academic officer at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. He will officially succeed Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett on Oct. 1.
"Just a year after our university marked the milestone of the 150th anniversary of its founding, today we begin a new era for William Woods with the appointment of Dr. Moreland as our new president," Board of Trustees Chair Romaine Seguin said. "An outstanding and visionary leader, Dr. Moreland understands and appreciates the value of professions-based, student-oriented universities like William Woods, having devoted his impressive career to the success and inclusion of all students, progressive education and scholarship. He is just the individual to lead William Woods to new heights in achieving our academic mission."
The board and search committee engaged in a national search that included visits to campus by the finalists and involvement from a wide range of William Woods constituents.
Seguin said the detailed process led to a selection that is consistent with the qualities in a new president expressed by university stakeholders.
"Throughout the long interview process, we had an opportunity to interact with some exceptionally talented individuals, and are fortunate to have landed the best of them as our next William Woods president," Seguin said. "Dr. Moreland is a man of vision, strategic thinking and integrity, an excellent communicator who is equally effective and comfortable with faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors. His leadership has been instrumental in growing St. Thomas' stature as a university in a short time and he is uniquely qualified to lead William Woods to great success as its 13th president."
In his current position, Moreland is responsible for oversight of academic programs, instruction, classroom and online delivery, curriculum, assessment and quality assurance; accreditation and regulatory affairs; academic operations; assessment and institutional effectiveness; research and scholarship; policy and governance; strategic planning; registrar and budget oversight.
Since becoming provost and chief academic officer in January 2019, St. Thomas University has demonstrated rapid and sustainable success, including an increase in enrollment of more than 30 percent; three record-breaking incoming traditional-age freshman classes; consecutive operating budget surpluses; record high online enrollment; implementation of a multi-point, hybrid advising model, resulting in improved student retention; increased class size and availability across colleges and expanded in-house online delivery, and multiple agreements with industry, employers, military and other higher education institutions.
"I am humbled and honored to become president of William Woods University, and am excited to have the opportunity to play a role in shaping the future of this historic institution," Moreland said. "It will be my honor to work closely with the trustees, faculty, students, staff, alumni, donors and friends of the university to continue to uphold the highest standards of excellence and integrity, delivered in an environment that promotes academic freedom and inclusion."
Prior to joining St. Thomas University, Moreland served as provost and chief academic officer at the University of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado (2016-19); and several positions at the University of Phoenix in Arizona (2004-16), including academic dean and executive director, associate dean and doctoral research faculty of the School of Advanced Studies; and director of institutional assessment and planning for the office of the president.
Moreland was the education research associate and accountability data administrator for the Arizona Department of Education, the institutional research associate for the office of the president at Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas and training and research consultant at the Institute of Behavioral Research at Texas Christian University.
Though Moreland is a native of Oklahoma, he was raised in Texas where he earned his doctorate degree in 1998 and master's in 1996 in General Experimental Psychology from Texas Christian University. He is a 1993 graduate of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he received his bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Hearing Impaired Studies/Sign Language.
"Becoming president of William Woods University is without a doubt the pinnacle of my professional career," Moreland said. "I will advocate tirelessly on behalf of our exceptional institution and seek to achieve excellence in everything we do, to make sure our great University realizes its full potential."