North Greenville University’s 8th President

Dr. Gene Fant, Jr. is the 8th President of North Greenville University.

After months of praying and working, our presidential selection committee recommended Dr. Fant to the Board of Trustees today for this pivotal position.  After the board’s affirmation, we are so happy to be able to reveal who we believe God has led to Tigerville to lead in this next chapter for this wonderful school.  Building upon the university’s God-sized history, I can’t wait to see all that is in store for the future.

While there is so much to say, I want to share a quick personal note about Dr. Fant and then share with you his credentials.  There will be plenty more to share in the days to come.

With all the work that our committee did, I want you to know three of the many reasons that drew me personally to Dr. Fant:

  1. The Man Still Gets Emotional Regarding His Conversion.  During an interview with Dr. Fant, I remember vividly how he shared his testimony.  Decades after his conversion, he still got weepy over the love of his Heavenly Father and the intentionality of his earthly father.  Most academicians who have the mind unfortunately lose the heart over time but not Dr. Fant.  He is still passionate about Jesus Christ.
  2. The Leader Still Gets Excited About His Development.  Dr. Fant has served in leadership in pivotal positions and hasn’t slowed down.  He continues to learn and adds to his extremely impressive resume.  In his bio below, prepare to be amazed at how he continues to sharpen his own leadership skills.  He is an incredible leader.
  3. The Thinker Still Gets Passionate About His Ideas.  I have never sat in a room with a man that exploded passionate and brilliant ideas as much as Dr. Fant.  He could turn a simple question posted to him into a 401 academic leadership course for our committee or any group assembled.  I was absolutely stunned at how excitable his ideas were and how tangible his steps were.  He has more ideas than he has time.

For these three and so many more reasons, I am thrilled to introduce you to North Greenville’s next President.  It is a very, very good day.

Throughout the last year, I have prayed 1 Sam. 7:12 repeatedly.  I have laid down Ebenezer and realized that if God has brought us this far, I knew he would take us the next step of the way.  My hope is still in that truth, and I rejoice that part of God’s plan going forward is Dr. Fant at the helm of the university I love.

Great days are behind, and great days are to come.

Bio on Dr. Gene Fant

Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. became Palm Beach Atlantic’s provost and chief academic officer June 1, 2014.  Dr. Fant had served as executive vice president for academic administration and dean of the faculty at Union University in Jackson, TN, where he co-led the development of the Union 2015 Strategic Plan and served in a variety of other leadership positions.

Dr. Fant earned a bachelor of science degree from James Madison University, a master of arts in English from Old Dominion University and a master of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  While at the University of Southern Mississippi, he earned a doctor of philosophy degree in English literature and a post-doctoral master of education.

Additionally, he holds a certificate in educational management from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.  A prolific writer and speaker, he is a contributing blogger at The Chronicle of Higher Education and First Things; his most recent book is The Liberal Arts: A Student’s Guide (Crossway).

“An advocate for the liberal arts and a trained theologian, Gene Fant is an innovative, 21st century higher education leader,” President Fleming said. “He was the architect of significant initiatives that propelled Union University forward by numerous measurements. Moreover, he understands the heartbeat of the students.”

Dr. Fant and his wife, Lisa, are parents to twins, Ethan and Emily.  Dr. Fant’s father, Gene C. Fant, Sr., is a retired pastor, and his mother, Mona Faith Fant, is a syndicated radio host, songwriter and country-gospel artist. He is the grandson of the late Rev. Thomas Edison Fant, an evangelist and pastor.

More About Dr. Gene Fant

Degrees

  • Doctor of Philosophy, English Literature. University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 1995. (Emphasis: Renaissance English Literature: dissertation on hagiography in Lady Mary Wroth’s sonnets; secondary emphases: Arthuriana, Beowulf).
  • Certificate in Educational Management (post-doctoral). Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, 2011.
  • Master of Education (post-doctoral), Educational Supervision (Higher Education). USM, 1995.
  • Master of Divinity, Biblical LanguagesNew Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1991.
  • Master of Arts, English. Old Dominion University, 1987.
  • Bachelor of Science, Anthropology, minor in human biology. James Madison University, 1984.
  • Additional Study: Christopher Newport University (secondary English endorsement earned 1989); LERN Institute (On-line Instruction Certificate, 2001).

 

Previous Position

Executive Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the Faculty,

Union University, Jackson, TN 2012-June 2014

Notable accomplishments in Academic Administration:

  • Institution received numerous citations for academic quality, including U. S. News and World ReportKiplinger’sFirst Things, and many others.
  • Served on budget team with CFO and Provost; total budgets c. $90M.
  • Supported church and denominational relations with local churches.
  • Co-led in development of the Union 2015 Strategic Plan (Renewing Minds).
  • Supervised numerous curricular and technological developments, including expansion at regional campuses.
  • Assisted in successful accreditation reviews in art, music, business, social work, pharmacy, nursing, and engineering.
  • Participated in significant faculty hires in all areas of academic programming.
  • Led faculty development efforts that seek to shore up dedication to and understanding of the university’s mission.

Accreditation / Strategic Planning:

  • Co-Leader of Union 2015 plan: 2010-current. Includes soliciting and analyzing faculty / staff input into all elements of the latest strategic plan, which will mark the university’s bicentennial.
  • Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan for the SACS Self-Study: 2003-2007. Led in the overhaul and design of the Honors Program, transforming it into a pervasive and wide-ranging Honors Community.

Previous Administrative Experience

  • Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, Union University, Jackson, TN, appointed VPAA in 2010; appointed dean in 2006 (interim 2006-2007).
  • Chair, Department of English, Union University: 2002-2007. Chaired a ten-member department, the largest student credit hour generating unit in the university. Saw approx. 30% increase in majors and significant curriculum revisions, including the addition of mandatory senior thesis projects for all majors.
  • Chair, Department of English, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS: 1999-2002. Chaired a nine-member department, which included the M. A. / M.Ed. in English. At peak, almost one in nine undergraduate students at the university was an English major or minor.
  • Assistant to the University President, University of Southern Mississippi: 1995. Served as researcher and special projects coordinator and as the liaison with the office of the commissioner of higher education.

Publishing Experience

  • Assistant Director, Mississippi Institute for Law-Related Education, USM, 1994-1995. Carried out duties related to the oversight of $3.1 million in U. S. Dept. of Education grants, including teacher training and continuing education for law-enforcement and attorneys. Duties included editing and preparing manuscripts for publication to educational and policy institutions. Oversight of all phases of publishing and distributing eight books of curricula, policy reviews, and instructional materials.

Teaching

Primary teaching areas: Seventeenth-Century British Literature, Shakespeare, Creative Writing, Historical Linguistics, William Faulkner, World Literature, Auto/Biography, and Utopia/Dystopia.

Awards

  • Newell Innovative Teaching Award, Union University, 2005.
  • Two-time finalist for professor of the year, Union University.
  • Humanities professor of the year, Mississippi College, 2002.

Other Experience

  • Department of English, Union University: 2002-current. Full Professor awarded 2007. Tenure awarded 2006. Associate Professor awarded in 2002.
  • Department of English, Mississippi College: 1995-2002. Assistant Professor. Tenure awarded 1998. Admitted to Graduate Faculty, 1996.
  • Department of English, Univ. of Southern Mississippi: 1992-1995. Teaching fellow.
  • Adjunct faculty status: William Carey College (1991-1992), Delgado Community College (1991), E. P. Nunez Community College (1991), and Phillips Junior College (1989-1990).
  • Department of English, Gloucester County (VA) Schools. Instructor, 1987-1989.

Additional experience in management / sales (Ames Cleaners & Laundry, Hampton VA; Thalhimer’s Department Store, Hampton, VA; and Jack-in-the-Box, Newport News, VA) and athletic coaching. 

Selected Scholarship / Publications / Creative Works

Books

  • The Liberal Arts: A Students’ Guide. Crossway Academic, 2012.
  • God as Author: A Biblical Approach to Narrative. Broadman & Holman Academic, 2010.
  • Expectant Moments: Devotions for Expectant Parents (with Lisa W. Fant). Zondervan, 1999. Paperback edition released 2002. Kindle edition released 2010.
  • Petrarchan Hagiography, Gender, and Subjectivity in Lady Mary Wroth’s Pamphilia to Amphilanthus. Published by the Graduate School, Univ. of Southern Mississippi, 1995.

 

Selected Book Chapters

  • “How the Cooperative Program Put a Baptistery in my Garage: The Legacy of M. E. Dodd” in forthcoming volume edited by Ray Van Neste, 2014.
  • “Convictional Courage: The Leadership of David S. Dockery” in a forthcoming volume edited by Carla D. Sanderson, B & H, 2014.
  • “Give Me that Power: Secular Writers’ Fascination with the King James Version of the Bible” in KJV: Legacy and Impact, edited by Ray Van Neste, BorderStone Press, 2012.
  • “Core Curriculum in a Christian Context” A Handbook for Christian Higher Education, ed. David S. Dockery, B & H Academic, 2012.
  • “A Blind Man, an Idiot, and a Prig: Faulkner’s Disdain for the Reader” in Literature and the Reader, ed. by Michael J. Meyers. Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2005.

Scholarship Awards

  • 1994 Daub-Maher Prize for Outstanding Conference Paper: Southeastern Conference on Christianity and Literature
  • 1994 Linwood Orange Award, University of Southern Mississippi (given to the outstanding doctoral student in the Department of English)

Brief Biographies / Profiles

  • “Dante” & “George Herbert” in Encyclopedia of Christian Literature, eds. G. T. Kurian & J. D. Smith III. Scarecrow Press; forthcoming.
  • “George Strother Gaines,” “Mississippi College” & “Mississippi Baptist Convention” in The Mississippi Encyclopedia. Mississippi University Press / National Endowment for the Humanities; forthcoming, 2014.
  • “George Strother Gaines: Servant of Two States, Servant of Two Peoples.” Mississippi History Now, August 2002.
  • “Samuel M. Gore: Artist for the People.” Mississippi Magazine. July / August 2002.
  • “John Stewart Bryan,” “Eugene S. Pulliam,” & “Theodore Lothrop Stoddard.” American National Biography. Oxford Univ. Press, 1999.
  • “Peachwood Remembered: The Photography of Marion Stark Gaines.” Mississippi Magazine. May / June 1997.
  • Other publications on William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, Lady Mary Wroth, and Edith Wharton in a variety of academic journals; details available upon request.

Conference Papers

  • Twenty-one academic papers presented at several annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, regional sessions of the Conference on Christianity and Literature, Sixteenth-Century Studies Association, and other academic conferences. Detailed list available upon request.

Scholarly / Professional Societies

  • Evangelical Theological Society: 2003-current
  • Formerly held memberships in Modern Language Association, Conference on Christianity and Literature, International Arthurian Society, National Council Teachers of English, Sixteenth-Century Studies Association and others.

Essays

  • Contributing blogger (325+posts since 2008) and frequent essayist (18 essays since 2001) at The Chronicle of Higher Education; search “Gene Fant” / “Gene C. Fant” at www.chronicle.com for complete list. Blog top-page at http://chronicle.com/blogAuthor/On-Hiring/6/Gene-C-Fant-Jr/116/ .
  • Contributing blogger at First Things’ “Evangel” (2009-2013) and “First Thoughts” (2013-current), 100+ posts. Blog top-page at http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/author/gene-fant/ .
  • Contributing editorial columnistThe Jackson (TN) Sun, a Gannett newspaper. Approx. 60 monthly editorial columns since 2008. Most recent essays at http://www.jacksonsun.com/
  • Contributing parenting columnistThe Jackson (TN) Sun and West Tennessee Parent & Family Magazine (formerly a specialty imprint). Approximately 70 monthly columns, 2003-08.
  • Approx. twelve essays at Baptist Press (see http://www.bpnews.net/search?q=Dr.+Gene+C.+Fant%2C+Jr for complete listing).
  • 25+ other essay titles / placements in regional and national publications available by request.

Essay Awards

  • 2007 & 2003 Amy Foundation Awards for excellence in newspaper editorial writing from a biblical perspective.
  • 2006 Grand Prize, Feature Writing, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (part of a team submission), Madison Magazine.
  • 2006 Silver Medallion, Outstanding Reporting, Parenting Publications of America (part of team submission), West Tennessee Parent & Family Magazine

Creative Writing

  • Writer-in-Residence: Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, VA) Young Authors Conference (held at Virginia Commonwealth University), 2004-2006.
  • Poetry and short fiction published in several creative writing journals.

Songwriting

  • Affiliated songwriter with Broadcast Music Incorporated as “Clint” Fant.
  • Finalist, 2008 Song of the Year (“Remember the Sacrifice,” co-written with Mona Faith Fant), U. S. Association of Gospel Entertainers and Musicians.
  • Winner, 1985 Lyric Contest, Music City Song Festival

Other

Board / External Committee Service

  • Board of Directors, Impact 360 Institute, a residential worldview academy sponsored by the LifeShape Foundation, a Chick-fil-A charity: 2014-current.
  • Curriculum Development Committee, Impact 360: 2006-current.
  • Board of Advisors, Impact 360: 2005-2013.
  • Member, Jackson Arts Coalition of the Jackson Arts Council (literary representative): 2009-current.
  • Member of Advisory Board, Media Ethics Magazine: 2008-current. www.mediaethicsmagazine.com.
  • Planning Committee of the Bible as Literature Subgroup, Evangelical Theological Society: 2003-2012.
  • Member of Advisory Board, Jackson (TN) Sun specialty publications board: 2005-2009.
  • Member, Conclave on the Future of Baptist Higher Education: 2004.
  • Member, Planning Committee for the National College Forum of the Splendors of Versailles Exhibition, Jackson, MS: 1997-1998.

Consulting 

  • Faculty Development: College of the Ozarks, Oklahoma Baptist University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Belhaven University, Poltava (Ukraine) College Consortium, and a dozen or so high schools, both Christian and public.
  • Pedagogy, text reviews, and testing consulting with Crossway, InterVarsity Press, U. S. Department of Education / Mississippi Institute for Law-Related Education, W. W. Norton Publishers, A. B. Longman Publishers, College Board, Advanced Placement Testing Services, Prentice-Hall Publishers, Summit Ministries, and Jackson-Madison County Public Schools. Detailed list available upon request.

Media Commentary

  • PrintThe Chronicle of Higher Education2001 Writer’s MarketBaptist Press, Dallas (TX) Morning News, Washington (DC) Times, Memphis (TN) Commercial-Appeal, New Orleans (LA) Times-Picayune, Nashville (TN) Tennessean, Newport News (VA) Daily-Press, Hattiesburg (MS) American, and Jackson (TN) Sun.
  • Broadcast: BBC 5 Radio, FamilyNet Radio, American Family Association of West Tennessee, WBBJ-TV (Jackson, TN), WDAM-TV (Hattiesburg, MS), and other outlets in AZ, MS, and TN. Monthly “Dad’s Dish” segment aired on JEA -6 in Jackson, TN, 2005-2009.

Church Involvement

  • Member, Englewood Baptist Church, Jackson, TN, since 2007.
  • Lay Preacher: supply preaching at Baptist / Methodist churches in LA, MS, TN, TX, & VA.
  • Interim Minister to College Students, West Jackson (TN) Baptist Church (2003-2004).
  • Deacon: ordained 1995 at First Baptist Church, Hattiesburg MS. Also served at West Jackson (TN) Baptist Church, and Englewood Baptist Church (including service as deacon secretary).
  • Led mission trip to Ukraine, 2010.
  • Taught Sunday school, worked in community missions, coached sports teams, and served on committees at churches where we held membership. Complete listing available upon request.