The Northwestern State Athletic Department announced Dr. Susan Campbell as its Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) on Tuesday.
Campbell, an assistant professor of Social Work, is in her fourth year as part of the NSU faculty after a career devoted to community improvement. Campbell has broad experience in the non-profit sector, having worked for over 25 years in educational, social service, and research settings.
Prior to joining the Northwestern State faculty, Campbell worked as a researcher at Shriners’ Hospitals for Children—Shreveport, a program monitor with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Behavioral Health-Addiction Services, and LINCC program development and grants management at the Community Foundation of North Louisiana.
Campbell came to Northwestern State in January 2019.
“As a social worker, I value athletics and how it can enhance child development and community engagement,” Campbell said. “From a social work standpoint, I recognize the value of athletics. As the mother of an athletic high school student, I have spent a lot of time on the sidelines the past 15 years, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Campbell replaces the recently retired Jody Biscoe as NSU’s FAR after Biscoe served 16 years in the role.
“Northwestern State thanks Jody Biscoe for the work he did as our Faculty Athletic Representative,” NSU Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Jody was an integral part of our department for more than a decade, and we are very appreciative of the time and effort he poured into our student-athletes and to the NSU Athletic Council.”
The Faculty Athletics Representative plays a strategic role at the institution, ensuring the academic integrity of the intercollegiate athletics program, facilitating institutional control of intercollegiate athletics, and enhancing the student-athlete experience at Northwestern State University. The FAR represents NSU and its faculty in the relationship between the NCAA and the institution. The FAR also provides significant leadership in the governance of NSU’s intercollegiate athletics programs and represents the president—in academic and student-athlete matters—to the athletic department and NSU’s faculty.
“The Faculty Athletic Representative is vital to the success of our athletics program and we are extremely excited to have Susan take on this role,” Bostian said. “In addition to being a respected professor and member of the University community, Susan understands the importance that athletics plays here at Northwestern State. She will be a great bridge between our student-athletes, coaches and staff with the University faculty and administration.”
Campbell said her meeting with Bostian and the NSU Athletics academic services team reaffirmed her interest in the position.
“(This position) speaks to a lot of what I value in terms of promoting academic integrity at the institutional level as well as facilitating the integration of athletics and academics,” said Campbell, who is married with a college-age daughter and a high school soccer-playing son. “When I met Kevin and the academic staff, I appreciated that they saw their long-term goal as building that future citizen who graduates with a degree from Northwestern and is able to go out in the world.
“It’s what we want for all of our students – to have that experience. I appreciate that athletics are important, but they understand the balance of academics and athletics and how they promote the whole person. That struck a chord with me.”
Campbell earned her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Kansas in 2009. She has been published in various professional publications, including the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Medicine and the Journal of Interprofessional Care.
She also holds a master’s degree in community counseling from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina.
