Dr. James M. Shaeffer of Norfolk has been hired to become the next president of Eastern Shore Community College. Shaeffer’s selection is the result of a national search that attracted 92 applicants.
“Our board is very pleased to hire Dr. Schaeffer after a highly competitive and thorough four-month search, vetting and selection process,” said Jeffrey B. Holland, chair of the Eastern Shore Community College local board. “Jim Schaeffer brings an exceptional combination of experience, talent, energy and vision to our college. Jim’s portfolio of skills and resourcefulness will be a catalyst for the innovative transformation for the institution.”“Jim’s career in higher education has spanned more than 30 years, with a heavy emphasis in workforce development training with multi-state experience,” said DuBois. “There is a unique set of challenges and opportunities at Eastern Shore Community College and we’re excited to see what Jim’s nontraditional path to the presidency can help us achieve there.”
Shaeffer has worked in education for 40 years, beginning as a middle school instructor in the Kansas City School District in 1979.
Between 1984 and 1992, he worked at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, serving in several different positions. In 1992, he became an assistant professor and director of the School for Extended Studies and Public Studies at the University of Wyoming. He was elevated to associate professor in 1994, and became the division head of the Extended Credit Programs in the university’s School of Extended Studies and Public Service.
Shaeffer worked at the University of North Dakota, beginning in 1996, rising from an associate dean to an associate vice president. He moved to James Madison University in 2005 where he was an associate vice provost and an associate professor. He became the founding dean of the College of Continuing Education and Professional Development at Old Dominion University in 2014 – the position he currently holds.
Shaeffer earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University; a master’s degree from Kansas State University; and a doctorate from Northwestern University.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity. During my on-campus interview I was struck by the connection the community shares with the college, the sense of pride the students have for ESCC, and the dedication the faculty and staff demonstrate for the institution’s mission,” said Shaeffer. “As the finishing touches are placed on the college’s new academic building, I think it will become a symbol of a renewal for ESCC. Together, I believe we can create a new model for an effective and efficient 21st century small college that elevates the communities it serves.”
Shaeffer will succeed Dr. Linda Thomas-Glover, the college’s forth president, who retired at the beginning of 2018 after serving in that role for nine years. Dr. Billy Greer has served as the college’s interim president since January, 2018. Shaeffer will assume the position in the beginning of July.
Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC) is a member of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and serves the residents of Accomack and Northampton Counties as a two-year institution of higher education. Originally a branch of the University of Virginia, the institution joined the Virginia Community College System in 1971. The college was accredited and granted membership in the Southern Association of College Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 1973 and moved to its current location in 1974. For more information, please visit https://es.vccs.edu/.
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