Only two institutions have named a full-time successor since, leaving a considerable chunk of the Magnolia State's colleges and universities with vacant seats in executive leadership.
Among the batch of hires and exits, one leader suddenly passed away after her health took a turn only two hours prior. Elsewhere, before becoming president, at least two leaders have served higher education in an academic or administrative capacity for more than 25 years.
Reports by National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and YouthTruth suggest that male enrollment has declined faster than women for the past five years and only 57% of young men graduating high school in 2023 expect to go to college.
Ron Patterson's record cultivating strong enrollment numbers made him a ready appointment at Chadron State College. One of these president's decisions to step down, however, is hard to decipher.
Last year brought in the largest freshman class Bethune-Cooman had seen in more than 10 years and a 34% net tuition increase. With federal aid drying up in June, however, they intend to capitalize on an unexpected spark.
Aside from some bittersweet endings to some long, healthy careers, one president of a major university left following two "embarrassing" mishaps, and another didn't make it into his first year before resigning.
Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony's commitment to "integrity; also, transparency and accountability" will attempt to right the wrongs of their most recent president—and maybe even those that came before him.
Thanks to the support of a non-profit, crucial—and often cost-prohibitive—customer relationship management software is now leveling the playing field when it comes to enrollment.
