Before accepting his position as president of Georgia College, Dr. Speir had completed a year’s graduate fellowship at the Harvard Business School and received his PhD from the University of Denver Graduate School. President Speir's tangible presence on campus and his direct interest in the students made him a welcome addition to the college. During his tenure as president, Speir worked at establishing international exchange programs with universities in several countries, namely China. His tenure also witnessed the revitalization and revision of many degree programs. Among these were the birth of the nursing program and the accreditation of the Business School by the AASCB. He witnessed the construction of a new Arts and Sciences building which opened in the Fall of 1996, as well as several satellite campuses in middle Georgia.