Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Sharon Beard ('94, MDR '01) Considers Her Career a Calling

For Sharon Beard, Pepperdine University’s newly appointed interim vice president for student affairs, working with college students is not a job, but a vocation—a calling she feels that God placed directly on her heart.
This distinct sense of purpose took root during Beard’s undergraduate education at Seaver College, where she developed lifelong mentors and a strong faith in Christ. Since then it has blossomed into a more than 20-year career aimed at one goal: to provide future students with the same community-filled, Christ-centered, transformational college experience that she had as a Pepperdine student.
To accomplish this objective, Beard has immersed herself in student life at Pepperdine—from working as a staff member on the events team, to serving on student activities, to her most recent role of dean of students. Each of these different and dynamic positions has both provided her with a greater appreciation for her alma mater and prepared her for the role of interim vice president for student affairs—a student-centric leadership position that directly aligns with Beard’s professional goals.
“What excites me about this new role is the ability to have a direct impact on the student experience,” she explains. “Whenever my work interacts with or has the potential to enhance the lives of students, that’s when I feel most fulfilled.”
Stewarding a Connected Culture
In her new role, Beard will focus on continuing the excellent work of the student affairs division, which has successfully cultivated a community of belonging across campus. As a whole, student affairs consists of Pepperdine’s Housing and Residence Life, Student Activities, Student Employment, the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Student Care Team, Intercultural affairs, Campus Recreation, Title IX, and Office of Community Standards. In order to build on the forward momentum of each of these teams, Beard will ground her leadership of the division in the University’s Christian tradition.
“What I love about Pepperdine is that it’s Christ-centered,” she says. “By starting from that foundation of faith, we can accomplish our goal and be a light to our students—we can better understand what they need and how we can best serve them.”
Beard believes that the University’s Christian mission distinguishes it from peer institutions, as it inspires each corner of campus to prioritize, serve, and equip students to make a positive impact on the world. As such, in her new position at Pepperdine, she looks forward to opening doors and breaking down barriers to help each student flourish academically, socially, and spiritually. In Beard’s mind, this process starts by creating a connected culture.
“God created us to be in community with one another,” she says. “Community is what everyone, at their core, is seeking, and it’s a blessing Pepperdine has offered throughout its history as an institution. Our students want and need a deep, deep sense of connection with one another.”
Given her longevity at Pepperdine, the versatile skill set she’s developed, and the strong interdepartmental relationships she’s fostered along the way, Beard feels well prepared to serve as one of the main architects of the campus’s supportive and nurturing atmosphere—the same atmosphere that empowered her as a student and more recently as a parent of Pepperdine undergraduates.
Drawing on a Breadth of Perspectives
When it came time for her own children to attend college, Beard and her husband, Alan (‘94, MPP ’99)—who she met as an undergraduate—advocated on behalf of their alma mater. They were well aware of the school’s ocean views and nationally acclaimed academics, but were most impressed with the individual people who live out the school’s caring approach.
“At Pepperdine, our kids were just 30 minutes from home, but still, it was a huge transition for us,” Beard explains. “We love family time, and we knew things were going to change. But to know we were sending them to a place where they would be cared for by people we trust filled my heart. It’s a different experience going through it as a parent. I gained a new level of respect for my colleagues and their incredible work.”
Now, having witnessed college life from a number of different perspectives (student, parent, and administrator), Beard is excited to serve as one of the frontline, trusted mentors students can rely on. As the interim vice president for student affairs, she aims to provide young adults with the same strong foundation for life that she received while attending Pepperdine.
“During college, having people who cared about me and wanted to share the gospel with me made all the difference,” Beard explains. “I want that same experience for our students. I don’t want them to come to Pepperdine and just get their degree. I hope their experience is deeper than that. If they leave here saying that they know Jesus, have developed lifelong friends, and feel called to a vocation, then I feel like my work will be complete.”