WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Dr. Dennis Lancaster has been named the permanent dean of academic affairs at Missouri State University-West Plains.
At their regular meeting Friday, Oct. 17, in Springfield, Missouri, members of the Missouri State University Board of Governors approved a recommendation from Missouri State-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett and Missouri State University System President Clif Smart to remove “interim” from Lancaster’s title. Lancaster had been serving as interim dean since May 20, 2013, following the resignation of Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Christopher Dyer.
“I am delighted to have Dr. Lancaster transition from interim dean of academic affairs to holding that position officially,” Bennett said. “Serving in this position for over a year, during which time he successfully led our effort for reaffirmation of our accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, Dr. Lancaster has significantly improved academic operations on this campus.”
Although the normal procedure for filling this position is through a national search, Bennett said university officials decided to forego the time and expense of such a search and recommend Lancaster for the position.
“We have conducted national searches for this position twice in the last seven years, but Dr. Lancaster’s notable ability and proven success as dean prompted me to approach our faculty for their input on whether to follow the search procedure to fill the position permanently or to request that President Smart recommend Dr. Lancaster’s permanent appointment to the position to the board, which he is allowed to do under university policy when there is a qualified candidate,” Bennett explained. “Faculty voted unanimously in favor of Dr. Lancaster, and President Smart and our Board of Governors supported that decision. We are very excited and fortunate to have Dr. Lancaster continue the great work he is doing on behalf of our campus.”
“I am honored to have been selected for the dean’s position,” Lancaster said. “In serving as the interim dean for the past year-and-a-half, I have learned this is a most complex position but a critical one in the teaching and learning processes of a college campus. While I will certainly miss the classroom and the day-to-day interaction with the honors students in particular, I hope I can use what I’ve learned and observed over the past 22 years here at Missouri State-West Plains to sustain and better the learning environment for all of our students. We have many challenges now and even more ahead, and I believe that a collaborative approach – one that involves instructors, staff members, administrators, students, parents and community members and like-minded organizations – is the only way we’ll be able to move forward with excellence in such a challenging environment.”
Lancaster has been affiliated with Missouri State-West Plains in a variety of teaching and administrative capacities for 23 years. He joined the campus as a per course English and journalism instructor in 1990 and was hired full time in 1992 as assistant director of university communications/lecturer. In 1997, he was appointed special projects coordinator/lecturer then became the assistant to the chancellor/instructor in September 2001. He served as acting chancellor/instructor for six months in 2007 and was appointed assistant professor/director of the Darr Honors Program in January 2009.
A 1980 graduate of West Plains High School, Lancaster received his bachelor’s degree in English (literature) and philosophy in 1984 from Drury University and his master’s in journalism in 1996 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He completed his Ed.D. in higher education administration in September from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.