Associate Vice President, Dean of Students, Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Email: shookmh@mailbox.sc.edu
Phone: 803-576-8326
Office: Russell House 112A
Dr. Shook entered the field of student affairs administration over 25 years ago due to an unwavering faith in the transformative power of higher education to shape ethical citizens committed to leaving their communities better than when they arrived. His student-focused approach has led him to working in both state flagship institutions as well as liberal arts colleges; previous institutions include LaGrange College (Georgia), The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Alabama, The University of Virginia, and Presbyterian College (South Carolina). Dr. Shook joined the University of South Carolina in 2018 and presently serves as the Associate Vice President, Dean of Students, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator. With 300+ full-time professional employees, the Office of the Dean of Students envisions a campus community where every Carolinian feels supported, empowered, and connected. We strive to be a model of excellence in student services; recognized for our unwavering commitment to compassionate care, exceptional customer service, and attention to detail. Units encompassing the Office of the Dean of Students include University Housing, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, Student Disability Resource Center, Student Care and Outreach Team, Basic Needs Support, Withdrawal Services, as well as Temporary Conditions and Injuries.
Dr. Shook’s commitment to fostering collaborative relationships has allowed him to serve USC in a number of capacities outside his current role. While at USC, he has been the Interim Assistant Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX, Interim Title IX Coordinator, Interim Associate Vice President for Student Life, co-chair of the 2020 University Summer Operations and Campus Return Committee, chair of the Trauma Response Team, as well as co-chair of the University Strategic Planning Group for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The roles that Dr. Shook most prefers, however, are those that squarely put him in direct contact with students, such as working with his Dean’s Advisory Council, his monthly Donuts with the Dean sessions in the university union, his annual Dean’s Directed Book Discussion, or teaching in the university’s higher education student affairs master’s program.
His passion for the mission and values that drive student affairs work is demonstrated in his commitment to growing the field. He is the immediate past director of the New Professionals Institute sponsored by NASPA Region III and SACSA after serving on its faculty since 2019. Likewise, he has served on the board of directors for the following organizations: Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, Association for Student Conduct Administrators, NASPA Region III, and the Alabama Student Personnel Association.
Recognized as a thought leader in the field of student affairs, Dr. Shook is a published author, consultant, and presenter on topics such as First Amendment considerations on college campuses, legal issues, staff supervision, and student leadership development. At professional conferences alone, he has delivered and co-delivered over 90 presentations. Dr. Shook has also served on the editorial board for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, the College Student Affairs Journal, as well as the Law & Psychology Review. In recognition for excellence in academics, research, and service to the profession of student affairs, he was inducted into the USC chapter of Chi Sigma Alpha in 2022.
Dr. Shook’s considers himself fortunate that colleagues have recognized his commitment to the field and nominated him for several honors. Dr. Shook is a 2026 NASPA Pillar of the Profession recipient and was the 2022 recipient of the AVP/Senior-Level Student Affairs Professional Award presented by NASPA, the highest professional honor for senior level leaders issued by the organization. He also received the Gamecocks Stand Up “Hero Award” in 2020 presented by the USC Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention Office. He was previously recipient of the Bobby E. Leach Award for significant contribution to the development of multicultural relations on campus presented by the Southern Association for College Student Affairs as well as the Annette Gibbs Research and Publication Award from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. Now back in South Carolina, he is proud that his first professional honor in student affairs was as the recipient of the Walter T. Cox Outstanding New Professional Award from the South Carolina College Personnel Association way back in 2003.
Dr. Shook earned his bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and religious studies from Southern Methodist University (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa), his JD from the University of Alabama School of Law, and his Ph.D in higher education administration from the University of Virginia. He also holds a certificate in nonprofit management from The University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of Harvard University's Institute for Management and Leadership in Education as well as its Crisis Management in Higher Education program. When not on campus, you can typically find him on the porch with his wife or cooking incessantly for his three teenage children.