Amid Jackson's continuing water crisis and its HBCU's revolving door of former leaders, first-time President Marcus Thompson wants everyone to know he's here for the long haul.
The majority of the college leaders transitioning in or out of the president position in the past two weeks have demonstrated excellence in one of higher education's top executive positions.
In the business of running a liberal arts school like Furman University, the most cherished metric to study success is student satisfaction. For President Elizabeth Davis, the key is a strategic plan agile enough to adjust to student interest and leveraging a dedicated team ready to adapt to new needs.
A higher ed leader heavyweight steps into her mother's alma mater. While a 20-year presidential tenure is one to celebrate, one decade-old stint is souring following academic cuts.
"We're fools if we think that the educational pipeline is going to look the same as it did when we went through school and 10, 15, 20 years from now," says Katherine Frank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
In light of a successful $2.1 billion fundraising campaign, the University of Kentucky president believes the generosity is a token of confidence the community has placed in the Wildcats to uplift the commonwealth.
It was a quiet week among presidents' comings and goings. A first-time female leader is beginning her career and one long-time leader is in his twilight. Plus, one president has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of an administrator's suicide.
What does a 21st century liberal arts institution look like? Listen to President Lori White guide us through her creation of DePauw University's five-year strategic plan that aims to prepare students to be successful "in the jobs of today and that we can't even imagine for tomorrow."
Unlike at Harvard, presidents and administrative leaders spared a tumultuous beginning of the year will bid farewell to their communities on good terms, in pursuit of better opportunities.