For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Klubert
For More Information
304-243-8165/304-639-6352
Rev. James Fleming, SJ, Ph.D., is Appointed the Tenth President
of Wheeling Jesuit University
Rev. James J. Fleming, SJ, Ph.D., executive vice president of Wheeling Jesuit University, has
been appointed the institution’s tenth president by the Board of Trustees, effective July 1,
2013.
He will succeed Mr. Richard Beyer, who has decided not to seek a second term. Beyer, who
has been president since 2010, will work closely with Fr. Fleming on the transition.
“Fr. Fleming is ideally suited to serve as president of the university. He is a dynamic and
visionary leader who possesses a keen knowledge of the university and, obviously, the
Jesuit values on which it was founded and continues to operate. When Rick informed the
Board that he did not plan to seek a second term as president, in part to spend more time
with his family, the obvious – and unanimous - choice for president was Fr. Fleming.” said
Mimie Helm, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees.
She added, “In his three years as a senior member of the university’s administration, Fr.
Fleming has forged close relationships with faculty, staff and students, as well as political
and community leaders throughout the state. He has been instrumental in guiding the
development and implementation of the university’s long-term strategic plan, while taking
on key operational responsibilities. Fr. Fleming is distinctly qualified to build on the
momentum generated in recent years and to lead the university’s continued growth as one
of the nation’s best liberal arts institutions.”
The Board unanimously voted to name Fr. Fleming president during a regularly scheduled
March 7 board meeting. The presidents of the Alumni Council and Faculty Council were
consulted as part of the selection process.
“Wheeling Jesuit University is a great institution possessing even greater potential. I’m
excited to work with our exceptional faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends for many
years to come to realize this potential. It has been a great privilege to be a part of this
community for the past three years and I thank the Board of Trustees for their confidence
and the opportunity to continue moving the university forward,” said Fr. Fleming.
Fleming, 53, joined Wheeling Jesuit University in 2010 as the institution's first vice
president for mission and identity and then chief of staff. He became executive vice
president in 2012. He previously served as director of mission planning and assessment for
Boston College and was a member of that faculty from 2000-2010.
At Wheeling Jesuit, he has overseen the university’s operations; focused on strategic
leadership for program development, implementation and assessment; and led universitywide collaboration on new initiatives. He is the author of numerous articles and
publications, and holds a doctorate in education policy, organization, measurement and
evaluation from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a native of Lowell, Mass., and a
priest with the New England Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
“The Board is deeply grateful to Rick Beyer for his significant contributions to the
university. Under his leadership, WJU has achieved record enrollment, tremendous growth
in alumni giving, as well as the establishment of new academic programs in fine arts,
engineering and health sciences,” said Ms. Helm.
“The experience here at WJU has been tremendous and I am grateful for the opportunity to
work with such outstanding people. Fr. Jim Fleming has been an outstanding partner and I
look forward to working with him through the balance of the year,” said Mr. Beyer.
About Wheeling Jesuit University
Established in 1954, Wheeling Jesuit University consistently is ranked as one of America’s top
regional colleges by US News & World Report and other organizations. It is the youngest Jesuit
institution of higher learning in the United States and the only Catholic institution of higher
learning in West Virginia. Its Jesuit tradition of academic excellence and service to others
draws a global student body of 1,580 undergraduate and graduate students from 28 states
and more than 25 countries.