A. Clayton Spencer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 8th President of Bates College | |
| In office July 1, 2012 – July 1, 2023 | |
| Provost | Matthew Auer Malcolm Hill |
| Preceded by | Elaine Tuttle Hansen |
| Succeeded by | Garry Jenkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ava Clayton Spencer December 15, 1954 Concord, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Spouse | Ash Carter (divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Samuel Spencer (father) |
| Education | Williams College (BA) University of Oxford (BA) Harvard University (MA) Yale University (JD) |
| Website | www |
Ava Clayton Spencer (born December 15, 1954) is an American attorney. She was the eighth president of Bates College. She had previously served as the vice president for institutional policy at Harvard University from 2005 to 2012.
Her tenure over Bates saw a marked increase in financial assets, major campus expansion, and increased academic competitiveness. She has been criticized for failing to quell biases in higher education and socioeconomic inequality.