John Spurrier
Faculty Principal of the Capstone Scholars program

When the idea for Capstone Scholars, a learning community devoted to academic excellence, personal development, and growth, was developed, Dr. John Spurrier initially sat on the search committee to choose a faculty principal. He never had the intention to apply for the position himself, but as he interviewed potential principals and thought more about the mission of the learning community, he changed his mind. He concluded that a strong faculty principal would have a general interest in students and in their variety of majors, a quality he pictured in himself. When he did apply, it was because he “saw [it] as an opportunity to make an impact on a large set of students.”
A University of South Carolina veteran of 32 years, Dr. Spurrier is a professor in the Department of Statistics and the recipient of numerous awards for his teaching. Although his professional life is busy, Dr. Spurrier cites a strong commitment to his family and church. He also enjoys playing basketball and softball.
Dr. Spurrier began his position as Capstone’s faculty principal in the fall of 2005 and although he is new to the position, he already has big ideas for the Capstone Scholars. “I think freshmen often don’t come [to the University of South Carolina] with big enough dreams. So we’re trying to get them to dream big and then to help them accomplish those dreams,” Spurrier said.
When asked about his teaching philosophy, he stated simply, “I teach students.” Spurrier believes students should be characterized by their individual personalities and needs: “[W]e need to understand their backgrounds and we need to understand how they learn.”
John Spurrier’s departmental web site:
http://www.stat.sc.edu/~spurrier/
Capstone Scholars’ web site:
http://www.sc.edu/capstonescholars/