Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher announced today that longtime employee Dr. Paula Gill has been promoted to Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness. In this role, Gill is responsible for evaluating the university’s progress toward its performance objectives and for seeking ways to improve services and processes that provide value for students. In addition, she will serve as a member of the President’s senior leadership cabinet, providing feedback and consultation on University decisions and strategic planning.
“As Belmont University continues its phenomenal growth trend, the need for assistance at the highest level of leadership has become apparent,” Fisher said. “We want to provide guidance to help our campus be more effective and manage resources for the good of our students. There’s simply no better person for this role than Dr. Gill. Her expertise and perspective are matched only by her great love for, and dedication to, the Belmont community.”
Gill added, “I am incredibly honored by this appointment, not only for what it represents to me personally and professionally but also for what it proves about this University’s commitment to guiding students to their full potential in order to lead lives of meaning and purpose. My professional success is the result of Belmont administrators, faculty and staff who shared their wisdom and invested their time in me during my academic and professional journey. My gratitude for this promotion is exceeded only by my excitement to serve this dynamic institution and its students in new ways in the future.”
After successfully leading the team responsible for Belmont’s reaffirmation for accreditation efforts through SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), Dr. Gill was also charged to lead recent reorganizations of the Universities’ marketing and communications branches as well as the event services and provost’s offices. Her current duties include collaborating with the Office of Advancement to develop effective and efficient operations while also leading a special campus-wide initiative centered on innovation.
Prior to her appointment as vice president, Gill served in numerous positions throughout her 19-year Belmont career, beginning as mail services coordinator in the University mailroom in 1994. After receiving her B.S. at Belmont, her career transitioned into areas related to quality enhancement and student support, including past positions as director of student financial services and associate dean of enrollment services.
Gill received Master of Science and Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Alabama with a focus on quality management and higher education administration. Dr. Gill’s doctoral research explored the influence of culture on transformational change. She leads a variety of workshops and retreats and consults with higher education institutions on topics ranging from strategic planning to organization redesign. In addition, she is a current board member and past president of the National Consortium of Continuous Improvement, an organization whose aim is to advance academic and administrative excellence in higher education by identifying, promoting, supporting and sharing effective organizational practices among the 90-plus member institutions. She also serves on the board of PhilanthroTeach, a local nonprofit which seeks to provide 21st century employability and lifestyle skills to unemployed and economically disadvantaged people and make them self-sustaining through the giving and support of the community.
