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Dr. Patrick J. Schloss became Valdosta State University’s eighth president on August 1, 2008. Schloss came to Valdosta State from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he served as president for four years.
Schloss’ core academic values have shaped the focus of his presidency. He is particularly attentive to budgetary processes that enhance the fiscal responsibility of those closest to the mission. In this context, he is a strong advocate for shared governance and has directed his attention to policy formation processes that benefit from the voice of all campus constituents.
He is student centered and invests substantial energy to cultivating student life opportunities. Schloss is deeply committed to establishing and maintaining strong relationships between the university, its alumni, and community partners.
Schloss earned a bachelor’s degree in special education and master’s degree in counselor education from Illinois State University. He earned a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Madison in rehabilitation psychology.
Schloss has been a frequent contributor to professional literature and is one of the widely recognized scholars, focusing on the adjustment of persons with disabilities to adult life. He has written more than a hundred articles in peer reviewed journals and more than fifteen books. His secondary methods book is in its fourth edition and is the most widely adopted text of its type.
He has served as professor of special education and department chair at Penn State University and the University of Missouri. Schloss was appointed to the position of provost and acting president at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and served as president at Northern State in South Dakota. He was appointed to the president at Valdosta State University in 2008.
Schloss and Dr. Cindy Schloss had three children and seven grandchildren. Following Cindy's death in 2003, he married Dr. Maureen (Smith) Schloss, a long time colleague and friend. He is an avid sportsman and a private pilot with an instrument rating.