By: Ellie Simmers | Editor-in-Chief
President Alison Morrison-Shetlar | University of Lynchburg
As President Alison Morrison-Shetlar’s time at the University of Lynchburg draws to a close, she is looking back on her six years spent leading the university and what lies ahead for both her and the institution.
An Unprecedented Start
Morrison-Shetlar stepped into her role as the university’s 11th president in August 2020, immediately navigating a world of social distancing, virtual meetings, and uncertainty.
For Morrison-Shetlar, however, this was a challenge she was ready and willing to face.
“I had richer and deeper conversations and learned more about the institution because of COVID,” she shared in a 2020 interview with Lynchburg Magazine.
For Morrison-Shetlar, the student experience has been the cornerstone of her presidency and decisions.
“We are telling the story of our identity and the student experience in a more focused, engaging way, making the necessary changes to ensure we remain competitive in the evolving higher education landscape,” she said, noting the increased number of international students on campus, from 22 in 2019 to 187 in 2025.
Investing in Students and Stability
One of Morrison-Shetlar’s proudest accomplishments is the establishment of the Center for Career Engagement Opportunities, a resource designed to support students from their time at Lynchburg and into their careers.
“It supports students throughout their university experience, ensuring they are well-prepared for graduate school or their first post-graduation position,” she said, highlighting the connections it has allowed alumni to make with current students through mentorships and internship opportunities.
Financially, Morrison-Shetlar credited her presidency with transforming the financial health of the university, noting the success of “closing a comprehensive campaign two years ahead of schedule, raising over $42 million and exceeding the $40 million goal.”
“The university is stronger in several key ways, primarily through financial, strategic, and student-focused improvements,” she said. “Financially, the University is stronger, offering high-demand majors and continuously improving the student experience.”
Morrison-Shetlar explained that these improvements came through difficult choices. She said, “We utilized data to make necessary, hard decisions, ensuring the University of Lynchburg remains strong for another 122 years.”
While progress was made in reducing the operating deficit, Morrison-Shetlar stressed the importance of moving beyond balancing budgets.
“While we decreased the operating deficit significantly, we need to move beyond simply balancing the budget to a point where we can reinvest in our people and programs,” she said.
Navigating Difficult Decisions
“My hope is that the legacy of my presidency at the University of Lynchburg will be defined by a period of necessary and strategic transformation that secured the institution’s long-term future,” said Morrison-Shetlar, highlighting the strategic restructuring that happened under her leadership.
“We developed and implemented an innovative strategic plan. This involved restructuring the university to streamline operations, reduce duplications of programs, and consolidate the executive leadership team,” she said.
Drawing from her background in the sciences, Morrison-Shetlar took a pragmatic approach to making hard decisions about the institution.
“My leadership principle was that we could not afford ‘equal cuts,’ which would have produced the wrong outcome. Instead, we used a data-driven mindset to carefully restructure the university, eliminating redundancy in program offerings and disposing of non-productive assets.”
However, she recognized the difficulty and pain those decisions have brought.
“The most challenging part of my legacy is the implementation of ‘necessary, hard decisions.’ This included reducing the workforce (approximately 72 faculty and staff positions) and phasing out 17 academic programs, to develop institutional sustainability,” explained Morrison-Shetlar.
“The challenge,” she said, “is ensuring the community heals from this internal trauma and that morale is rebuilt after these necessary changes.”
Throughout her presidency, Morrison-Shetlar has tried to be a data-driven president who leads with transparency.
“What I most want the campus community to understand is that every difficult decision made during my presidency was guided by radical transparency, a commitment to the best available data, and an unwavering focus on the long-term sustainability of the University of Lynchburg,” she said.
Looking Ahead
As Dr. Sally Selden prepares to take over as president on July 1, 2026, Morrison-Shetlar knows that she is leaving the institution in good hands.
“Dr. Selden is a seasoned professional, with knowledge of the evolution of the university and the changing nature of higher education,” she said. “Dr. Selden will make her presidency her own.”
As President Alison Morrison-Shetlar prepares to pass the torch, she leaves behind a legacy of leadership in the face of adversity and an institution well prepared to meet the challenges ahead.
