By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Texas A&M University-Commerce continues to move forward with a reorganization that will split the post of Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs into two positions.
Dr. Mary Hendrix, who has been serving in an interim capacity for the last year and a half, will move into the position of Vice President for Student Access and Success on a full-time basis after the holidays. Her appointment to the permanent position will be considered at the January meeting of the Board of Regents.
A recent email from President Dan Jones reads that Dr. Gary Peer has agreed to serve as interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs this spring as the national search for a permanent provost proceeds. He will be introduced at the spring assembly in January.
Dr. Peer lives in Stephenville, where he recently retired from Tarleton State University
as provost, a position he held for seven years. He has extensive administrative experience, including service as interim president, department head, assistant dean, assistant vice president for academic affairs, and vice provost. He holds the Ed.D. in counselor education from Indiana University, Bloomington, and recently served as a consultant to the Minnesota State University system.
Dr. Peer will be with the university during the spring semester, and has agreed to stay through summer in the event that the appointment of the new provost has not been finalized by the end of May. He will not be a candidate for the permanent position.
According to Dr. Jones, this interim arrangement will allow Dr. Hendrix to devote her full-time attention to the complex challenges she will face in her new position, while providing stability and continuity to the division of academic affairs.
A&M-Commerce is also currently conducting national searches for the position of Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences and Vice President for Institutional Advancement.