University of Lynchburg selects next president.

In a unanimous vote, the University’s board of trustees has selected Dr. Sally Coleman Selden as the University’s next president.

From the University of Lynchburg

In a unanimous vote, the University of Lynchburg Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Sally Coleman Selden as the University’s next president. She will succeed the current president, Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, who has announced her retirement effective June 30, 2026.

Selden — currently provost and dean at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina — will become the 12th president in the University’s 123-year history. She brings more than 25 years of academic leadership to the role, along with extensive experience in strategic planning, enrollment management, fundraising, and fiscal oversight.

“The University of Lynchburg holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to return as its next president,” Selden said. “I believe deeply in the power of this community — its people, its values, and its mission — and I am excited to work together to support our students, invest in our faculty and staff, and build momentum for the University’s next chapter.”

The announcement is the culmination of an intensive six-month national search by a 20-member Presidential Search Committee. The committee was led by Board Chair Julie Doyle and board member Dr. Kelli Rainey ’99 and made up of representatives from University faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, and trustees.

Executive search firm Isaacson, Miller assisted in the process.

“We are delighted to announce the selection of Dr. Sally Selden as our next president,” Doyle said. “She is uniquely qualified to lead the University of Lynchburg as academic institutions face increasingly complex challenges, while continuing to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities.

“We are confident she will expand upon the progress we’ve made over the past six years under President Morrison-Shetlar to strengthen the University and best position it to meet the unique needs of our students.”

Rainey, the search committee’s vice chair, added, “Our search committee conducted a far-reaching and exhaustive search for our next president, and we identified several excellent candidates.

“We all agreed that Dr. Selden’s background and qualifications make her the ideal fit for the University at this point in our history. She also has a strong personal connection to UL and the Lynchburg community, which is an added benefit.”

A strong local connection

Selden, who grew up in Appomattox, Virginia, is a familiar face to many at the University and in the local community. Before becoming provost at The Citadel, she spent 18 years at the University of Lynchburg.

During that time, she was a highly respected member of the faculty and served in several leadership roles — including director of the Master of Business Administration program, department chair of Management, faculty chair, director of the Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership Studies, and associate provost — before being named provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Selden also was actively engaged in the Lynchburg community, serving as president of two parent-teacher organizations and on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation. In 2019, she was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.

She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia and a PhD from the University of Georgia.

An accomplished leader at The Citadel

At The Citadel, Selden has served as chief academic officer and leads the college’s strategic planning efforts. Her responsibilities have included managing academic programs and initiatives across the college’s five schools that reach more than 2,800 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students and support more than 200 faculty.

She also chairs the college’s Fiscal Review Board that is responsible for a wide range of activities: strategic planning, assessment, accreditation, enrollment management, information technology, financial aid, veteran services, parent programs, library and archives, research centers, academic support, and student services.

Selden partnered with The Citadel Foundation to establish a successful $300 million campaign to support the “Mighty Citadel” 2026 strategic plan, increasing sponsored funding by 346% over a four-year period. More than $10 million was raised during the 2025 calendar year alone.

She has helped increase residential undergraduate enrollment by almost 9% since Fall 2023 and is responsible for record overall enrollment growth in each year since then. Student retention rates also have set a record at 88%.

The Citadel has the highest four-year graduation rate (78%) among South Carolina comprehensive public colleges and universities, and during Selden’s tenure, the college has recruited the four largest classes in its history (from 2022-2025).

Under Selden’s leadership, The Citadel was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in both 2025 and 2026 as the #1 Regional University in the Southern Region.

In addition, Selden is a distinguished scholar and teacher of nonprofit management, human resources management, and leadership studies, and has published extensively.

She is married to Frank Selden, a psychologist who plans to practice in the Lynchburg area, and they have three adult sons: Jacob, Nate, and Owen. Owen is pursuing a master’s degree at Oxford University, Nate is a graduate student at Oregon State University, and Jacob is a collegiate baseball coach at Liberty University. 

Visit to university scheduled

Selden plans a visit to the University of Lynchburg the first week of April to meet with faculty, staff, students, and community leaders.