A new face can be found in the office of the dean of arts and sciences. Dr. Jay Driver has taken the position of former Dean of Arts and Sciences, Darrell Grimes, who has been promoted to vice president.

“ As a dean, I will have opportunities to teach, but also get to work with faculty and their invitations in teaching,” Driver said, “But I do look forward to teaching a class in the future. There have been some deans in the past that have taught some classes; I will be a model.”

 He admits that it takes everyone to get the job of dean completed.

“People such as Brenda Dunlap, who makes this job work, the student assistants, other deans, vice-president, and the president.”

Dr. Driver has been part of South Plains College’s faculty for 11 years. He was hired in 1994 by Robert Pearce, who stepped down as the department chairperson last fall after 39 years in the position.

As dean of the arts and sciences, Dr. Driver will be working with the chairpersons on such things as schedules, planning and budgeting. He will also be working with the faculty to better education for the students.

Dr. Driver is married to Dollie Driver and has two children; daughter, Joy, and son Michael. They have been living in Levelland for three years.  Driver went to college at Texas Tech University to major in math. At Texas Tech, he earned a bachelor’s degree in math in 1991, a master’s degree in 1993, and his doctoral degree in education in 2001. Before working at SPC, Dr. Driver was first employed at Frenship ISD, where he had done his student teaching, then worked at Lubbock ISD for three years.

Dr. Driver said that he loves teaching and working with students. It is his passion.

“ That’s one of the core requirements of teaching, getting to know your students,” Driver said, “You start to see patterns oh how they think and you can teach them what ever it is you want to teach them and new ways of teaching them.”

Dr. Driver does not plan on retiring anytime soon. He said, “ I assume the position of chair to be there when you retired, but there are some opportunities that come along and can change that perspective.”

He explained what SPC has brought to him personally.

“I have found an environment where I see faculty who really care about students, and, for me, that is the heart of teaching,” Driver said, “ That is an environment I enjoy working in.”