FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 3, 2017
Regents name new president at Fort Hays State University
(Hays, Kan.) - The Kansas Board of Regents has named Dr. Tisa Mason the new president of Fort Hays State University (FHSU). Mason has been serving as president at Valley City State University (VCSU).
“I’m honored to accept the role of President at Fort Hays State University and once again join this outstanding community,” said Mason. “I’m excited to work with the students, faculty and staff of this leading forward-thinking, entrepreneurial university as together we position the University for even greater levels of achievement and innovation.”
“Dr. Mason possesses a wealth of experience and has the innovative spirit needed to lead Fort Hays State University,” said Dave Murfin, chairman of the Board of Regents. “I’m confident that she will continue the Fort Hays State tradition of providing accessible, quality education to its community and our state.”
A native of Massachusetts, Mason is rejoining FHSU leadership, having served as vice president for student affairs at the university before assuming the position of president at VCSU. She also served as dean of student life at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater in Whitewater, Wis.; executive director of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and Foundation in Indianapolis, Ind.; director of student life and assistant professor at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Va.; and assistant dean of students, Hanover College, Hanover, Ind.
In 2013, Mason received the Robert H. Shaffer Award from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors for her long-term commitment to fostering positive change in fraternities and sororities. She received the Excellence in Service to Students Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success in the same year.
Her academic credentials include a Doctor of Education degree in higher education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.; a Master of Science degree in education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill.; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology/anthropology from Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky.
“The Presidential Search Committee did an outstanding job in identifying such an excellent candidate for us,” said Regent Joe Bain, an FHSU alumnus. “The members of the Board are also grateful to Dr. Andy Tompkins for his leadership of FHSU as Interim President.”
A high-resolution photo of Dr. Mason is available here.
For more information, please contact Matt Keith at (785) 430-4237 or
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About the Kansas Board of Regents:
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas.