Mary K. Grant, Ph.D., Chancellor of the University of North Carolina – Asheville, was recently named Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Campus Compact, the nonprofit coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents – representing some 6 million students – who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education.

Dr. Grant assumed her post on July 1 and serves as one of two Vice Chairs, along with Dr. Shouan Pan, president of Mesa Community College in Arizona. “I’m honored to serve as vice chair of the board of such an important coalition of colleges and universities,” said Mary K. Grant, Chancellor, UNC Asheville. “The values of Campus Compact are at the very core of higher education’s service to the public good and I look forward to my new role with this outstanding organization as we continue the important work of putting those values to practice.”

At the same meeting, Campus Compact’s Board of Directors elected four new members: Dr. Charlene Dukes, president of Prince George’s Community College; Dr. Robert J. Jones, president of the University at Albany; Dr. Jean MacCormack, president of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate; and Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, Inc. All were elected to serve three-year terms.

“A respected colleague in higher education, Mary will be a great addition to our board’s leadership,” said Campus Compact Board Chair Richard Guarasci, Ph. D., president of Wagner College. “Her expertise and dedication will help us ensure the effectiveness of our work as we look to advance initiatives to support campuses as they prepare students for lives of citizenship and develop strong community partnerships.”

The Campus Compact board consists of a distinguished group of college and university presidents from across the country representing all segments of higher education, as well as representatives from the philanthropic, business, and public interest communities. The Board guides the organization in its mission of deepening higher education’s ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.

“Mary Grant is an insightful and experienced leader who is deeply committed to the public purposes of higher education,” said Campus Compact President Andrew J. Seligsohn, Ph. D. “She has made major contributions to our network as Chair of the Board of Massachusetts Campus Compact and a member of our national board, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to take on this national leadership role.”

Campus Compact is advancing several new initiatives, including increasing the quality and quantity of professional development available to higher education civic engagement practitioners, creating a national network of civically engaged college students, and developing an action statement calling for a renewed commitment to the public purposes of higher education, to be affirmed by presidents and chancellors at Campus Compact’s 30th anniversary summit in March of 2016.

Mary K. Grant, Ph.D., was appointed UNC – Asheville’s seventh chancellor in August 2014 and began leadership of UNC – Asheville in January 2015. Previously, she served for 12 years as president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), in North Adams, Massachusetts. Grant holds a Ph.D. in social policy from The Heller School at Brandeis University, a master’s degree in public affairs from the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass Boston, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In 2012, Grant received an honorary degree from Williams College.

In addition to her work with Campus Compact, Grant’s service includes Campus Commonwealth Covenant Fund, MassINC, Norman Rockwell Museum, John Adams Innovation Institute, and University of Massachusetts Boston Board of Visitors, among others. She also served on the Massachusetts Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Advisory Council and was chair of the Council of Presidents of the Massachusetts Statewide University System; chair of the board of the Massachusetts Campus Compact; and president of the board of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), of which MCLA and UNC Asheville are members.