President Stuart Rayfield has appointed Dr. Shannon B. Campbell as Columbus State University’s new provost, executive vice president and chief academic officer. Currently the dean of fine and applied arts at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, Campbell will officially begin her CSU tenure on Jan. 21, 2025.

As a senior university leader and member of the president’s Executive Leadership Team, Campbell will lead the university’s academic enterprise, overseeing a total Academic Affairs budget of $54.7 million and a team of more than 450 faculty and staff. This includes many of the university’s student success and academic support programs; academic colleges and deans; research, outreach and faculty development centers; and affiliated administrative units.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Campbell to Columbus State at such an exciting time,” Rayfield said. “Her impressive background—especially in developing creative academic programs and stackable credentials—will help us continue to reshape our students’ education experience. We want to be a destination of choice where students can excel, grow as individuals and launch successful careers after graduation.”

Part of reshaping education at Columbus State will include realigning the core curriculum—general education courses like English, mathematics, science and social studies—with the career competencies required by today’s employers. This move bolsters the University System of Georgia’s systemwide focus on equipping graduates with communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills that will complement what they learn in their chosen majors, improve their post-graduate employability and enhance the state’s workforce.

Campbell will provide leadership for student success priorities comprising the university’s five-year strategic plan, launched earlier this year. That plan calls for increasing student retention rates to 85% from fall to fall and undergraduate graduation rates to 60% by 2030. Activities to support those priorities include instituting a new student success infrastructure, an enhanced advising standard of care, and more intentional linkages between students’ declared majors and their career pathways.