{"id":40842,"date":"2022-01-07T10:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T16:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.tarleton.edu\/news\/?p=40842"},"modified":"2025-11-18T10:23:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T16:23:05","slug":"baker-named-tarleton-vice-president-for-university-strategy-chief-of-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/baker-named-tarleton-vice-president-for-university-strategy-chief-of-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Baker named Tarleton Vice President for University Strategy, Chief of Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Headshot
Dr. Credence Baker has been named Vice President for University Strategy and Chief of Staff to Tarleton State University President James Hurley.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 7, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Dr. Credence Baker has been named Vice President for University Strategy and Chief of Staff to Tarleton State University President James Hurley, effective immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Tarleton alumna, Dr. Baker has filled several key leadership roles during her 16-year career at the university, including Director of the Center for Instructional Innovation, University Certification Officer, Associate Graduate Dean and, most recently, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. At COGS she led recruiting and digital marketing that helped increase graduate enrollment more than 45 percent since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She recently led the strategic planning process that charted a 10-year course to enhance Tarleton\u2019s student experience, foster innovation, strengthen the economy and grow the institution\u2019s national prominence. She now co-chairs the Integrated Planning Council to ensure implementation of Tarleton Forward 2030: Our Future-Focused Strategic Plan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Baker\u2019s unwavering dedication as a Tarleton graduate and an esteemed faculty member and university administrator make her a clear choice for this important role,\u201d Dr. Hurley said. \u201cHer wealth of institutional knowledge, strong collegial relationships and quest for excellence better position us to become the country\u2019s premier comprehensive regional university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to representing Tarleton with The Texas A&M University System, state agencies and organizations, Dr. Baker will lead the Division of University Strategy, which includes marketing and communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited for the challenges of this impactful role and humbled by Dr. Hurley\u2019s confidence in me to lead University Strategy and the President\u2019s Office,\u201d she said. \u201cTarleton is such a special place, and I\u2019m blessed to be able to work with incredible colleagues across the institution to continue moving us forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A full professor in the College of Education and Human Development, Dr. Baker has authored 23 research publications and helped secure $4.9 million in grants and sponsored projects. She advises Tarleton\u2019s student chapter of The National Society of Leadership and Success and has served on the Academic Integrity Taskforce, Intern2Learn Taskforce, University Planning Council, Strategic Enrollment Management Council, Information Technology Advisory Council and COVID Response Taskforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has been an active member of The Texas A&M University System Graduate Deans Council for the past six years, chaired the 2017 Texas A&M University System Pathways Research Symposium, and served on the Texas A&M System Distance Education Advisory Council and P-20 Taskforce on Virtual Instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She completed a PhD in applied technology and performance improvement at the University of North Texas, and a master\u2019s in curriculum and instruction and a bachelor\u2019s in administrative systems at Tarleton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, January 7, 2022 STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Dr. Credence Baker has been named Vice President for University Strategy and Chief of Staff to Tarleton State University President James …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":40845,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":382,"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,423,425,427],"tags":[430,431,432,433,436,437,438,440,441,439,445,446,450,453,457,458,459],"class_list":["post-40842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homepage","category-academics-research","category-campus-community","category-science-health","tag-academic-affairs","tag-administration","tag-alumni","tag-athletics","tag-college-of-agriculture-natural-resources","tag-college-of-education","tag-college-of-graduate-studies","tag-college-of-liberal-fine-arts","tag-college-of-science-mathematics","tag-division-of-health-sciences","tag-division-of-research-innovation-and-economic-development","tag-division-of-student-engagement-success","tag-leadership-military","tag-performing-fine-arts","tag-tarleton-state-fort-worth","tag-tarleton-state-online","tag-tarleton-state-waco"],"acf":{"image":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"keegan","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/author\/keegan-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2022\/01\/6875-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["_Homepage<\/a>","Academics & Research<\/a>","Campus & Community<\/a>","Science & Health<\/a>"],"unlinked":["_Homepage<\/span>","Academics & Research<\/span>","Campus & Community<\/span>","Science & Health<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Academic Affairs<\/a>","Administration<\/a>","Alumni<\/a>","Athletics<\/a>","College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/a>","College of Education<\/a>","College of Graduate Studies<\/a>","College of Liberal & Fine Arts<\/a>","College of Science & Mathematics<\/a>","Division of Health Sciences<\/a>","Division of Research, Innovation and Economic Development<\/a>","Division of Student Engagement & Success<\/a>","Leadership and Military<\/a>","Performing & Fine Arts<\/a>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/a>","Tarleton State Online<\/a>","Tarleton State Waco<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Academic Affairs<\/span>","Administration<\/span>","Alumni<\/span>","Athletics<\/span>","College of Agriculture & Natural Resources<\/span>","College of Education<\/span>","College of Graduate Studies<\/span>","College of Liberal & Fine Arts<\/span>","College of Science & Mathematics<\/span>","Division of Health Sciences<\/span>","Division of Research, Innovation and Economic Development<\/span>","Division of Student Engagement & Success<\/span>","Leadership and Military<\/span>","Performing & Fine Arts<\/span>","Tarleton State Fort Worth<\/span>","Tarleton State Online<\/span>","Tarleton State Waco<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 years ago","modified":"Updated 5 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on January 7, 2022","modified":"Updated on November 18, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on January 7, 2022 10:54 am","modified":"Updated on November 18, 2025 10:23 am"},"featured_img_caption":"Smiling woman in a purple blazer with Tarleton State University logo.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40842"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54634,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40842\/revisions\/54634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}