Anthropology and Sociology

Leigh Shaffer received a PhD in Social Psychology in 1974 from Penn State University. After teaching at a couple of other institutions, he came to WCU in 1980 as a tenure-track faculty member in the Psychology Department. In 1987, he moved to Anthropology and Sociology, where he enjoyed many years teaching sociology courses, advising students, and engaging in scholarship and service until his retirement in 2009. During this period, Dr. Shaffer served a term as Department Chair and also stepped up to contribute to the university in several administrative posts, including as Director of Faculty Development, Interim Coordinator of Institutional Research, Acting Associate Provost, and Acting Director of Professional Studies. He also taught for a number of years in the Honors Program and mentored many WCU faculty during his career at WCU. Dr. Shaffer had an enduring interest in student advisement and human capital; one way this was reflected was in his work with NACADA (the Global Community for Academic Advising), in whose journal he published numerous articles and for which he served on the editorial board, including as co-editor from 2009 until 2016.

Dr. Shaffer was a wonderful teacher, advisor, mentor, colleague, and all-around citizen of the university. Indeed, he personified the teacher-scholar. He was also one of the kindest, most caring, and civil individuals many of us have ever known. We miss him greatly and wish to memorialize him with this page. We held a formal memorial celebration of his life on October 5, 2018, in the Philips Memorial Library that was attended by retired and active faculty colleagues, former students, family, and friends. The program for that event can be accessed above.

In addition, colleagues of Leigh Shaffer published tributes to him both before and after his death (August 5, 2017). Please read them at the links below.

• Henriques, Gregg (2017). A note of gratitude for my friend: A letter of deep appreciation for my friend, Dr. Leigh Shaffer. Psychology Today, June 17.
• Robbins, Rich (2017). In Memory of Leigh S. Shaffer. NACADA Journal, 37: 5-6.
• Miller, Marsha A. & Craig M. McGill (2018). Advisor, teacher, mentor, scholar: How the legacy of Leigh Shaffer impacts advising practice. Academic Advising Today, 41.

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