Gurney Chambers

Chambers, who retired in 1998 after serving as dean at WCU for 17 years, was selected for the honor in recognition of his impact on the field of education on the regional, national and international levels. Now director of the N.C. SACS Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, he received the award at a luncheon during the SACS-CASI Annual Conference in Atlanta in December.

During his tenure at WCU, Chambers delivered keynote addresses to more than 400 groups in the United States and other countries. He received the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award, Western’s highest honor for administrators; the Alumni Award for Academic and Professional Achievement; and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. The university bestowed an honorary doctorate on him in 2004.

Chambers has been active in SACS since 1969, the year he first served on an accreditation review team. Since then, he has served in a variety of positions, including president of SACS, member of the board of directors of the National Study of School Evaluation, member of the SACS board of trustees, member of the Committee on Latin American Schools, chair of the Standards and Policies Committee, and chair of the N.C. Secondary and Middle School Committee.

He has chaired a number of quality assurance review teams for individual schools and districts in North Carolina, and schools in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Chambers earned his bachelor’s degree at WCU and his master’s and doctoral degrees at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.