Spencer concludes more than three decades of college service
March 2008
The College of Education celebrated the 36 years of service rendered by Dr. William Spencer. Spencer officially retired from the college in December as a professor emeritus and past department head in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology.
Spencer joined the Auburn faculty in 1971 as an instructor in the college's then Foundations of Education Department. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1972, granted tenure with a promotion to associate professor in 1977, and promoted to full professor in 1993. Twice he served as department head: from 1979 to 1985 of then Foundations of Education Department and again from 2001 to 2006.
Beyond service as department head, his time at Auburn has included service as department graduate program officer and member of the AU Graduate Council. Spencer was awarded the college's Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award in 1991.
He continues to remain active in graduate education, currently chairing 14 doctoral committees and serving on 22 other doctoral committees both in the department and in other departments throughout the college. His tenure on the faculty has included chairing 45 doctoral committees to completion.
Spencer completed his graduate studies at the University of Illinois, where he completed a master's degree in social foundations of education in 1969 and a doctorate in comparative and international education in 1972. He earned his bachelor's in mathematics education at Southern Illinois in 1963.
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Last Updated: May 13, 2011
