Kurt Keppler Named Interim Associate Vice President for Clemson Student Affairs
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Wednesday, April 17th, 2019
Kurt Keppler has been named interim associate vice president in Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs. Keppler has more than 35 years of experience in higher education and fills the void left by Doug Hallenbeck, who was named vice president for Student Affairs at Oklahoma State University in March.
Keppler will begin his new role on May 1 and assume direct oversight of Campus Life, Campus Recreation, Student Health Services, TigerOne Card Services and University Housing & Dining.
“I am very excited to have someone with Dr. Keppler’s experience and expertise fill this interim role,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Almeda Jacks. “He has served as a vice president at two institutions and is a past president of our national organization, NASPA, so we are in capable hands moving forward. Kurt is a true student services professional with a focus on engagement and learning, and we welcome him to Clemson.”
Keppler most recently was vice president for Student Affairs (2010-19) at LSU while also serving as vice president for Student Life and Enrollment Services over his first seven years. He provided leadership not only to traditional areas in Student Affairs, but he was also responsible for overseeing the offices that make up Enrollment Services — Admissions, Student Aid and Scholarships, Recruitment and Tours — until LSU hired a vice president for Enrollment Management in 2017.
Under his watch, LSU added an $85 million recreation and wellness center in 2017 covering. He also oversaw fundraising efforts for the Olinde Career Center and William Berkshire Military & Veterans Student Center, which opened in 2014 and 2018, respectively. In addition, the school expanded its residential inventory with more than 2,500 beds while Keppler was at LSU.
“I look forward to being part of Clemson’s team, as well as meeting and working with the students,” Keppler said. “Having spent time at both Missouri and LSU, I’ve been doing a lot of ‘Go Tigers!’ over the years. One of Clemson’s colors is purple, and I have a lot of that, so that will be an easy transition as well. Almeda and I have known each other since we were young professionals and I have great respect for her. I look forward to meeting the folks I’ll work directly with, to get a chance to learn more about their operations. I feel certain those areas are already strong, so I can’t wait to hit the ground running.”
Prior to his time in Baton Rouge, Keppler was vice president for Student Affairs at Valdosta State University in Georgia in 2002-10. During his tenure, the university completed a three-phase residence hall project with the addition of 1,500 new beds and remodeling of an additional 1,800 beds. A new recreation center opened in 2002 and new 150,000-square-foot student union opened in 2010.
From 1993 to 2002, Keppler was dean of students at Georgia State University. After serving as interim vice president for Student Services in 1999-2000, he spent his final two years as an associate vice president. During his time in Atlanta, a 140,000-square-foot student center opened in April 1998.
Keppler began his career as student services coordinator in the Office for Student Development in 1981-84 at the University of Missouri. He also spent time in Student Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) from 1985 to 1993.
He served as president of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) in 2005-06 and was a recipient of the foundation’s Pillar of the Profession Award in 2008. He served on the NASPA Foundation board of directors in 2007-11 and the National Executive Committee from 2004 to 2007. Keppler chaired various conferences and committees with NASPA and is a member of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA). He is also a member of Golden Key International Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.
Keppler held adjunct teaching appointments at several of his previous institutions, including LSU. Most recently, he was appointed in the College of Human Sciences and Education.
Keppler earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation and park administration in 1978 from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He added a master’s degree in public and community services in 1981 and Ph.D. in higher and adult education administration in 1984, both from the University of Missouri.
His wife, Debra, is the director of compliance for the Office of Research and Economic Development at LSU. They have a son, Kyle, and daughter, Kaitlin, who both live in Atlanta.