Douglas N. Searcy, dean of student affairs at Wingate University, has been named to the position of vice president for student affairs at the University of Mary Washington.
Searcy will be responsible for the planning and direction of all of UMW’s student engagement programs in the offices of student activities, residential life, health and counseling services and athletics; and will administer the university’s student-run honor system. He will begin work in August.
In announcing his appointment, President Judy G. Hample said, “Mr. Searcy brings a wealth of experience to the University of Mary Washington, as well as an exceptional record of success in working with students in a variety of college and university settings.”
For the past five years, Searcy has been the chief student affairs officer at Wingate, a North Carolina university with an enrollment of more than 2,000 students. He has provided senior-level leadership for the division of student affairs and served on the university president’s cabinet and leadership team. Searcy led the division in the development of a four-year plan for student affairs and taught a senior year transition course.
Before his arrival at Wingate, Searcy served as director of residence life at Elon University, where he led a residential program of 2,700 students and 45 facilities. He also held the positions of assistant dean of students and director of residence life at Gardner-Webb University, area coordinator and assistant to the director of housing at Appalachian University and residence life coordinator at the University of South Carolina.
Searcy is state director of Region Three of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He was honored as New Professional of the Year in 1996 by the North Carolina Housing Officers, where he also served as president in 2001. In addition, he served on a number of committees with the Southern Association of College Student Affairs.
An accomplished writer, Searcy co-authored a paper on freshmen seminars and courses for undecided students and has presented numerous lectures on student engagement, community leadership and housing.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations and English from Mars Hill College, a master’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina and is completing a doctor of philosophy in administration and instruction from the University of Nebraska.