Dr. Shirley Lawler is stepping down as chancellor of Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) on June 30, 2020, to focus on health issues.
Missouri State University President Clif Smart and Lawler made the announcement Wednesday, June 10, to MSU-WP faculty and staff in a virtual town hall meeting.
During the town hall meeting, Dr. Dennis Lancaster, dean of academic affairs, was named interim chancellor. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Smart said, Lancaster will serve in that capacity for at least the next year.
Dr. Dennis Lancaster
Lancaster has been affiliated with MSU-WP in a variety of teaching and administrative roles for 30 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. He has served as the dean of academic affairs for the last eight years.
Lawler was the eighth person to lead the West Plains campus. During her two-year tenure as chancellor, Missouri State-West Plains reached several milestones. These include:
- Establishing an apprenticeship program through GOCAT, marking the campus’ first venture into U.S. Department of Labor certified registered apprenticeships
- Overseeing the construction and completion of the 850-seat amphitheater project
- Establishing a West Plains Police Substation at Drago Hall
- Securing a $300,000 commitment from Ozarks Medical Center (OMC) to help the campus expand the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program
- Increasing enrollment 5% in fall 2019
- Establishing the Ozarks Teacher Corps Scholarship, which funds a new cohort of students each academic year
- President Smart also announced at the town hall meeting that Dr. Michael Orf, assistant dean of academic affairs, will serve as the interim dean of academic affairs. Orf has 19 years of experience in higher education, with five of those years being at MSU-WP in the assistant dean role.
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