Graceland President Accepts President’s Position At Monmouth College

The Graceland University Board of Trustees has selected an Interim President after an announcement on Wednesday that Graceland President Dr. Patricia Draves has accepted a position at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. She will leave Graceland this summer. With that announcement, Graceland’s Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Michael Wiley has announced that Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Joel Shrock, will serve as the Interim President. Dr. Shrock joined Graceland in 2022 and has higher education posts at Anderson University, Ball State University, and Miami University. He has over 30 years of higher education experience. The transition will being immediately, and Dr. Draves will begin at Monmouth in July.

Dr. Draves’ presidency began in 2017 and has included the creation of the Blue, Gold & Bold Strategic Framework, which established a new academic model at the institution, awarding all undergraduate students a second major in transformational leadership. Last year, the school announced it was transforming its undergraduate tuition from $32,500 to $19,950.

Under Dr. Draves leadership, the University raised over $30 million for capital projects, including the complete renovations of Morden Center and Newcom Student Union.