Texas Wesleyan University President Frederick G. Slabach will leave the Fort Worth school this summer to become dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Slabach, who has served as the 20th President of Texas Wesleyan since 2011, will assume his duties at Ole Miss effective July 1, Texas Wesleyan said in a news release. Slabach’s appointment is contingent on final approval by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees at the board’s February meeting.
Slabach and his wife, Melany Neilson, have deep ties to Mississippi. The couple met at Ole Miss and are both alums of the university. Slabach is a graduate of the law school.
“Being asked to return home to help lead my alma mater, one of the oldest public law schools in America, is an honor for Melany and me,” Slabach said.
In an email to the campus community, Slabach expressed pride in the work of the faculty and staff in fulfilling Texas Wesleyan’s mission in higher education, writing that “the work we are doing together here at Texas Wesleyan has been the pinnacle of my professional life. I am grateful to be a part of this community and its continued momentum. Because of you, the university’s future is bright.”
Prior to becoming president, Slabach served as dean of the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and as chief executive officer of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Under Slabach’s leadership, Texas Wesleyan has invested more than $50 million in capital improvements to the campus and surrounding Polytechnic neighborhood, spurring significant economic revitalization, the news release said. The university has also embraced diversity under Slabach’s leadership and has earned distinctions as both a Hispanic Serving Institution and Minority Serving Institution.
The university’s endowment has doubled during Slabach’s tenure, the release said. The school set records for philanthropic support in 2022, raising more than $15 million in charitable gifts from private donors, corporations and charitable organizations.
Glenn Lewis, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, said Texas Wesleyan is a better institution because of Slabach’s hard work and dedication.
“President Slabach’s long and successful tenure leading a talented team of faculty and staff in the face of unprecedented challenges for higher education has resulted in a stronger, more diverse and more accessible university,” Lewis said. “His vision for and commitment to our smaller. smarter university have been steadfast and untiring. The next president of Texas Wesleyan University will have a strong foundation upon which to build.”
Donna Nance, vice president of finance and administration, said the university has received a 3.0 on the U.S. Department of Education Financial Responsibility calculation – the maximum score – under Slabach’s leadership. The score indicates that the university is maintaining the standards of financial responsibility necessary to participate in Title IV programs, according to the release.
“The last 12 years under President Slabach’s financial leadership, Texas Wesleyan University has become a much stronger institution,” Nance said.
“President Fred Slabach has been an incredible leader not only for Texas Wesleyan University but for all of Fort Worth,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. “Under his leadership, Slabach led the economic revitalization of the campus and the Rosedale Renaissance in east Fort Worth. His tenure as president is both impressive and transformative for the university and we are indebted to his leadership. David and I wish Fred and his wife Melany all the best in their return to Mississippi. He left TXWES and Fort Worth better than he found them and for that, I am incredibly grateful.”
Lewis will outline the search process for seeking a successor to Slabach in the coming days.