Shippensburg University is pleased to announce Darrell Newton, PhD, as its next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Newton was selected following an extensive national search and will join the campus community on July 1, 2024.
Newton currently serves as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Winona State, a public university serving 6,545 graduate and undergraduate students. In this role, he led six academic colleges and eight administrative and service departments including Adult and Continuing Education, Grants and Sponsored Projects, Information Technology, Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research Services, International Programs and Study Abroad, the Library, and Outreach and Continuing Education. These efforts also included supervision of a secondary campus in Rochester, Minnesota.
Before his time at Winona State, Newton was the associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Dean of Graduate Studies. Prior to that, he served at Salisbury State as a member of the Communication Arts faculty, a department chair and associate dean in the School of Liberal Arts.
“Dr. Newton’s proven experience will provide the strategic leadership required to continue to allow Shippensburg University to deliver high-quality academic programs through the use of assessment, accreditation, and innovative modalities. I look forward to welcoming him to campus and the vision he will provide toward our mutual goal of academic excellence, workforce development, and institutional sustainability,” said Dr. Charles E. Patterson, president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
At Winona State, Newton expanded online and hybrid programming with the identification of target audiences, modeling and staffing. This included the establishment of measurable goals within Academic Affairs. With support from his office, an online general education task force helped to create further possibilities for faculty and students.
Further, with the direct input of the faculty at Winona State, he promoted faculty scholarship through the support of colloquia. Funding acquired through the MinnState System allowed his office to support the Adult and Continuing Education office, and advance support for adult returning students. He established working relationships with the student government organization to allow for student input regarding academic support, modalities, and student need. The supervision of faculty development and study abroad efforts were also responsibilities.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as Shippensburg University’s provost,” Newton said. “I believe the university is positioned to enhance postsecondary education in the Cumberland Valley, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and beyond. I look forward to working together with all members of the campus community and university partners to sustain and advance academic excellence of Shippensburg University.”
Newton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Arts in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and an M.A. and PhD in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When Newton relocates to the area, he will be joined by his partner and wife Tabitha, a director of Human Resources.
