Dr. Bruce G. Fawcett has been appointed as the eighth President and Vice Chancellor of Crandall University. The appointment was made this week at a special meeting of the Board of Governors following a presentation by the Presidential Search Committee.
Mr. Greg Cook, Chair of the Board of Governors, stated “We are very pleased that Dr. Fawcett has agreed to serve as Crandall’s next President. We believe his expertise, experience, and enthusiasm for the mission of the university will help lead it to a new level of growth and influence.” Fawcett will assume office on August 1, 2012.
Dr. Fawcett received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Crandall University, and then spent several years in Boston where he attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity degree, and Harvard University where he completed a Master of Theology. His Ph.D. is from the University of Wales where he studied under the supervision of noted empirical theologian Leslie J. Francis.
His areas of research and teaching interest include empirical theology as it applies to young leaders and leaders of leaders, building leaders through mission involvement, and type theory and its application to leadership. He is also interested in leadership theory, strategic planning and change management, as well as fundraising and communications. He is the author of seven books and dozens of academic and popular style articles.
Fawcett currently serves as Academic Dean, Director of Doctoral Studies, and Associate Professor of Leadership at Acadia Divinity College of Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. A native of Moncton, he was ordained within the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches and has served in youth ministry at the local church and denominational level. He taught at Crandall from 1993 to 2001 and served on the staff of the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches from 1999 to 2008. He and his wife, Penny, have two teenage children.
“As a graduate of Crandall,” declared Fawcett, “I know firsthand the strong academic foundation it provides for future success, as well as its powerful influence on the shape and direction of a student’s life. It will be a privilege to lead a university that cares about every dimension of student experience, including spiritual formation.”
Dr. Fawcett has demonstrated a strong interest in strengthening leaders in developing countries and using exposure to other cultures to challenge and stretch North American leaders. He has traveled to more than 35 countries and trained leaders in a variety of settings. He has frequently taken groups of leaders and students from Canada on both international study tours and mission experiences to encourage cross-cultural experiential learning and spiritual growth.
Fawcett will succeed Mr. Andrew Hopper who will serve for an interim period after Dr. Brian MacArthur concludes an eleven year term as President on December 31st.
