Payne Concert Hall Dedicated

After 14 years of service to Sam Houston State University as its senior academic officer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Payne will retire on July 31, 2011.  During an appreciation and farewell concert and reception held Thursday, May 5, SHSU President Dana Gibson announced the naming of the David and Grettle Payne Concert Hall within the Gaertner Performing Arts Center.

Today@Sam announced some of the changes to SHSU during Payne’s administration:

• Increased enrollment by 27 percent.
• Moved the university from a Carnegie classification of Masters University to the classification of Research Doctoral University.
• Established internal connections with 18 universities in eight countries.
• Opened a multi-institution teaching center in north Houston.
• Established an innovative advising center, which was recognized in 2005 as one of the six best in the nation.
• Restructured Academic Affairs, adding two colleges.