As vice president for administration, Dr. Wayne Andrews looked out for the future of ETSU.
But these days, he can only look back at the school he’s helped shape for 17 years.
Andrews will leave ETSU in December to become president of Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky. He was chosen for the job two weeks ago after a unanimous decision by the school’s board of regents.
“We have been very well received there,” Andrews said. “The MSU faculty, staff and students are anxious for us to become part of them.”
“At the same time, it will be difficult for us to leave ETSU,” said Andrews, who will miss most the friends he’s made here.
“The people are the most important resources at ETSU,” Andrews said.
“I’ve always been amazed and grateful for the way in which we help each other, person to person,” he said. “This is a testimony to a great, caring community.”
President Paul Stanton is also sorry to see Andrews go, but he expressed gratitude and well wishes for his “confidant and friend.”
“He’s almost irreplaceable,” Stanton said. “But he’ll make an excellent president. In fact, I was the one who nominated him.”
As vice president for administration and chief operating officer, Andrews was the chief operating officer of the university – second in command, said Stanton.
Andrews ran several university divisions, including Continuous Improvement, Human Resources, Information Technology, Public Safety and Student Affairs.
He also acted as a liaison between the President’s Office and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Office of Internal Audit.
“He always took a lot on and did it all extremely well,” Stanton said.
Though Andrews has worked in higher education for 27 years at two institutions, some of his biggest accomplishments have been at ETSU.
They include: the re-accreditation of four programs and first time accreditation of two Engineering Technology (ET) Programs; significant increase in scholarly activity by the ET faculty; major equipment acquisitions for engineering technology; successful external program review of the graduate program; re-affirmation of the university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (co-chair of the re-affirmation process); planned, organized and led the university’s Continuous Improvement initiative; major re-organization of the Division of Student Affairs; significant partnerships with Academic Affairs in leadership development and community engagement; partnered with academic affairs to establish the Advisement, Resources and Career Center (ARC); and partnered with student affairs to construct the Center for Physical Activity (CPA).
Dr. Wilsie S. Bishop, dean of the university’s College of Public and Allied Health, will take Andrews’ place.
Bishop, who has been with ETSU for 26 years, served as associate vice president for Health Affairs, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and acting chairperson for the Department of Baccalaureate Degree Nursing.
Stanton offered high praise for Bishop: “I’ve known her and worked with her for 20 years,” he said. “She’s done a great job every place she’s been.”
Though time is running out before Andrews takes his place at Morehead, he said the transfer of power has been an “orderly” one.
“Dr. Bishop is very familiar with most facets of how we do our work,” Andrews said. “She and I are meeting with the division heads to review their organizational structures, major projects that are underway and challenges they face,” he said.
Andrews only advice for Bishop was that she continue to be the person she is. “Dr. Bishop is very well respected because she is smart, articulate, hardworking and a champion of the people,” Andrews said.

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