The search for the 19th President
Kalamazoo College — a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences institution with a global perspective and a bold sense of purpose—invites bold, thoughtful, collaborative, and forward-thinking leaders to consider the opportunity to serve as its 19th President.
The College’s audacious goal is to transform students’ lives so they can transform the world, and K believes the liberal arts are the best preparation for a life of service, achievement and fulfillment. Through its unique K-Plan, Kalamazoo College combines a flexible curriculum with top-tier academics, gold-standard study abroad programming, career exploration, civic engagement, and a capstone senior project. These experiences push students beyond their comfort zones and help them become stronger critical thinkers, analytical reasoners, collaborative leaders, and effective problem-solvers.
The 19th President will serve as the chief executive of Kalamazoo College. Reporting to and working with an accomplished and collaborative Board of Trustees, the President will serve as a highly visible innovator and visionary with the courage to stand firmly on principles and address the myriad challenges facing higher education today. Kalamazoo’s next President will be student-centered, making all students feel seen and valued, conveying a “big picture” vision and working collaboratively with the College’s accomplished faculty and staff for the benefit of students. The President will show empathy and compassion for all members of the College community and at the same time be able to make hard decisions. The President will believe deeply in the transformational power of a liberal arts education and what that means for students, alumni, the College and society. The President also will bring a commitment to K’s focus on equity and inclusion across campus.
Kalamazoo College serves a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff and enjoys widespread support from an engaged surrounding community. In its next President, the College seeks an accomplished higher education administrator and engaged scholar who can continue to capitalize on K’s success, innovate to create pathways for continued growth and accomplishment, and stay ahead of the challenges to higher education—both nationally and those particular to liberal arts colleges and to those in the Midwest. Key priorities for Kalamazoo’s 19th President include articulating a clear and distinctive value proposition; stabilizing operational results; bolstering enrollment; building upon a legacy of advancement; and sustaining strong community engagement.
A terminal degree is required; a distinguished record of teaching and scholarly engagement is preferred. K’s next President must be a clear, timely communicator and have experience in procuring transformational gifts from alumni and external stakeholders. They will possess a clear vision of how private residential liberal arts colleges can innovate and move forward without losing what makes them special and bring a personal history of deliberate efforts to ensure that the campus represents society and the world. In its next President, K seeks a leader who has a record of engagement with students beyond the classroom experience and a record of a strong commitment to students’ academic and social development. Superlative candidates will possess experience in making hard decisions as a crisis manager/leader, leading through challenging times, and instituting major change. They will be excited to lead at a caring and nurturing institution.
DSG Storbeck has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is led by Susan VanGilder, Steven Solnick, and Danielle Mebert. Nominations and inquiries should be submitted to [email protected]. All application materials will be considered in full confidence and must be submitted via the Talent Profile. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
