Hired
Wendy Hensel – University of Hawaii
Wendy Hensel has been appointed as the next president of the University of Hawaii system, the state’s sole higher education provider. Hawaii boasts a 50,000 student body across seven community colleges, two regional universities and an R1 research university—the breadth of which Hensel is accustomed to. As the executive vice chancellor and provost for the City University of New York system since 2022, Hensel has looked over the student and faculty experience across 25 campuses and 235,000 students. She had previously served as provost and head of academic affairs at Georgia State University.
Steven Peterson – Bluefield University (Va.)
The Board of Trustees at Bluefield University has tapped Steven Peterson as its 10th president during homecoming and family weekend, WVNSTV reports. Peterson most recently served an array of vice president positions at Houston Christian University, including its adult and graduate studies division and its online undergraduate and graduate programs. He is also experienced in recruitment, advocacy and student aid thanks to his time as the vice president for admissions at Liberty University, where he helped student enrollment peak past 100,000, according to Bluefield.
Retiring
Susan Schultz Huxman – Eastern Mennonite University (Va.)
Eastern Mennonite University’s first female president, Susan Schultz Huxman, has announced her plans to retire at the end of the academic year following nine years at the helm and 38 years in higher education, states a school announcement.
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Huxman is a beloved leader by faculty and students who will be remembered her for efforts to rope in diverse community members into strategic planning meetings, Daily News-Record reports. Black student attendance has risen by 22 percentage points (up to 43%) under her tenure. She also spearheaded a record-setting fundraising campaign during Eastern Mennonite’s centennial year.
Stepping down
Paul Fitzgerald – University of San Francisco (Calif.)
Paul Fitzgerald will be stepping down from the University of San Francisco after 10 years of service to pursue new opportunities, The San Francisco Standard reports. He leaves in great standing, helping the school raise more than $300 million that’s gone toward campus expansion and facility renovation.
Justin Guillory – Northwest Indian College (Wash.)
Northwest Indian College, the only fully accredited tribal college or university in Washington located on the Lummi Indian Reservation, will begin its search for its next college president after its board decided not to renew Justin Guillory’s contract. The 12-year president is credited for launching three of its four bachelor’s programs, transforming the college into a distance-learning institution and completing an $8 million wellness Center, Cascadia Daily News reports.
Lexie Tom, acting director of the Lummi Nation Educational System, will serve as interim president.
Harvey Stenger – Binghamton University (N.Y.)
Harvey Stenger announced his intent to step down as president of Binghamton University by the end of the academic year but will continue to lead until the board finds a replacement, according to an official statement. He will have served the New York-based institution for 13 years if he steps down next summer.
Stenger’s career at Binghamton has been marked by growth across several key metrics. Undergraduate and graduate enrollment increased by 28% and 44%, respectively, bringing the student body past 20,000. The number of full-time faculty is up by 53%, for a total of 921. Research expenditures have also reached $68.5 million, representing a 70% surge, which has contributed to Binghamton receiving R1 research status in 2019.
Madison College restarts its presidential search
Madison College, a public technical and community college based in Madison, Wisconsin, will not proceed with its current presidential search following the withdrawal of one of its three remaining finalists, according to a statement from the Madison College District Board of Trustees Chair.
“[T]he board determined that, with only two candidates remaining, we did not have the breadth of options necessary to make the best possible choice for Madison College,” he wrote in a statement.
