Lipscomb University Board of Trustees extends President Candice McQueen's contract through 2030
Kim Chaudoin |
The Lipscomb University Board of Trustees has granted a five-year contract extension to President Candice McQueen, Board Chair Richard G. Cowart announced today.
With the contract extension, McQueen, who became president on Sept. 7, 2021, will continue to lead Lipscomb through 2030, building on a remarkable period of record-setting growth and innovation for the university.
“Dr. McQueen’s leadership has brought remarkable momentum to Lipscomb University,” said Cowart. “The Board of Trustees believes strongly in her ability to lead Lipscomb into the future, as demonstrated by the extraordinary achievements she has already delivered in enrollment growth, academic innovation, and student success. Her vision, deep commitment to Christian higher education and unwavering focus on excellence are shaping a future of continued impact for Lipscomb and the students we serve.”
During her tenure, McQueen has overseen a period of record-setting progress across nearly every area of the university. Under her leadership, Lipscomb launched a strategic plan that outlined a bold vision for the future of the institution, has welcomed its largest classes of new students for three consecutive years, increased student retention to 86%, the university’s endowment has grown by nearly $30 million in less than four years and the institution has celebrated four consecutive record-setting Giving Days, including $3.1 million raised in 24 hours this year. In addition, McQueen visited alumni in 15 cities on her Be a Light tour, started a new President’s Student Advisory Council and brought back beloved student traditions like Beautiful Day.
Other significant highlights from McQueen’s presidency to date include:
- Achieving the highest student satisfaction ratings and the most significant gains on the Student Satisfaction Inventory in two decades.
- Reaching nearly 93% faculty and staff retention across the university and Lipscomb Academy.
- Establishing major initiatives, including the Center for Vocational Discovery, the College of Health Sciences and LUInnovate.
- Launching innovative new academic programs in disciplines such as generative AI, sport analytics, anesthesiology assistant studies, and communication sciences and disorders as well as an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to meet workforce needs.
- Forming new education partnerships with Metro Nashville Public Schools, the Memphis Teacher Residency and early childhood education organizations among others.
- Being named Tennessee’s first Early Childhood Education Hub by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
- Expanding Lipscomb’s national and regional reputation as a top-tier university, including being named a 2025 Best College by Money magazine with a four-star rating; ranked the No. 13 Best Christian University in the nation by Niche; debuting on the Wall Street Journal’s Best Colleges in the U.S. list; and being named a 2025-26 College of Distinction. The College of Education was recognized as one of the top teacher preparation programs in Tennessee for the 13th consecutive year, the College of Business was ranked among the top 50 undergraduate business programs in the nation by Poets&Quants for Undergrads for the ninth straight year, the animation program was named the best in Tennessee and No. 13 nationally, and the Honors College was recognized as an ACTA Hidden Gem.
- Creating three new endowed visiting professorships to attract the nation’s top thought leaders and scholars to Lipscomb.
“It is a tremendous honor to serve this university that has shaped my life and continues to transform the lives of so many,” said McQueen. “Over the last four years, we’ve experienced extraordinary momentum thanks to the collective commitment of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for their continued confidence in our shared vision, and I look forward to what God will continue to do in and through Lipscomb University in the years ahead.”
In addition to institutional achievements, McQueen has received numerous individual honors during her presidency. She was named a 2025 Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence, received the inaugural Luminary Award recipient by The Joseph School and was named a Most Admired CEOs by the Nashville Business Journal in 2023. Last year she was appointed to the American Council on Education’s Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities. McQueen serves on the boards of the Nashville Health Care Council, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Goodwill, Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. She is an alum of Leadership Tennessee, Leadership Nashville and Chiefs for Change.
McQueen has 30 years of experience in education across K-12, higher education, state government, and the nonprofit sector. Before returning to Lipscomb as president, she served as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching and as Tennessee Commissioner of Education under former Gov. Bill Haslam from 2015-2019, where she oversaw efforts to improve graduation rates, ACT scores, and teacher salaries statewide. She previously served Lipscomb as the inaugural dean of the College of Education and as senior vice president, leading the university’s teacher preparation programs to national recognition and launching the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation.
The Clarksville, Tennessee, native began her career in education as a teacher in private and public elementary and middle schools in Texas and Nashville, was on adjunct faculty at Vanderbilt University and was an assistant instructor at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Lipscomb University, a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.