Stacey Morgan Foster
Senior Consultant
Stacey Morgan Foster, JD joins Academic Search as a Senior Consultant with over 30 years of higher education leadership in private and public universities. She served as the Vice President Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Eastern Washington University, Vice President for Student Development and Retention at Cal State Stanislaus, and in senior positions at San José State University and American University. Stacey also brings expertise with accreditation, athletics, auxiliary enterprises, and community relations.
With a juris doctorate from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, as well as a degree in English and a teaching credential from Sacramento State, Stacey brings together a thorough understanding of the legal implications of the search process with exceptional attention to detail and strong communications skills. Past appointments have provided Stacey with opportunities to lead contract negotiations, development projects, large teams, signature institutional events, and strategic planning efforts. She also has media relations experience and is adept at managing a variety of institutional communications.
At Eastern Washington University, Stacey’s team grew freshmen enrollments while increasing diversity, leveraged financial aid to increase ROI and reinvented recruitment messaging utilizing market research and analytics. She was instrumental in revisioning career services, leading to a 96% employment rate for undergraduates. She also launched the premier veterans resource center in the Pacific Northwest, receiving national recognition and significantly increasing veteran student enrollment. Improving key student spaces that promote collaborative learning and student engagements, Stacey led campus teams in bringing to life a state-of-the-art residence hall (named in cooperation with local Native leaders) ($25 mil) as well as a renovation of the student union ($47 mil).
While at Cal State University Stanislaus, Stacey’s efforts in enhancing retention services contributed to the university’s recognition as a center of excellence for retention by AASCU and the Southern Regional Education Board. Stacey also reinvigorated the intercollegiate athletics program, resolving revenue/expenditure imbalances and a lingering Title IX issue, while bringing on a new women’s team. She secured student support for and oversaw the project development for a new soccer stadium and fitness center. During her tenure in the CSU system, Stacey was an active participant with the state’s vice presidents, serving on the Chancellor’s team for system-wide contract negotiations and as chair of the VP consortium.
Helping institutions achieve excellence is a strong value, and Stacey has served on accreditation teams (through WASC Senior) for over ten years. The collegial process involved with accreditations shares some similarities with the executive search process: both seek to support the institution through highlighting its mission in pursuit of demonstrated excellence.
