< Return to Presidential Search Page Challenges and Opportunities for the Next President
Provide visionary leadership for a dynamic and energized institution. Over the past decade, St. Lawrence University has experienced a renaissance in its academic programs, its campus infrastructure, and its admissions and fundraising programs. The next President will need to bring new vision and energy to sustain the University’s remarkable pace of achievement.

Increase the financial resources of the institution. The current fundraising campaign, Momentum St. Lawrence, is on target to meet a goal of $200 million by December 31, 2010. While fundraising has seen new records, the ambitions of the University will require the next President to provide strong advancement leadership, speaking persuasively to current donors and attracting and inspiring new supporters.

Foster a vibrant residential learning community. St. Lawrence is characterized by particularly close teaching and learning relationships among its faculty, staff and students, as evidenced by its nationally-recognized First-Year Program and the Senior-Year Experience. The University has recently added to the size of its faculty and is committed to faculty development. The entire community works to create a student-focused culture in which learning occurs across the full breadth of students’ academic and co-curricular experiences. Students have played an important leadership role in developing St. Lawrence’s environmental sustainability programs. Almost two-thirds of St. Lawrence’s student body participates in organized athletics – whether varsity, intramural or club sports – which is one of the contributors to the strong and supportive social environment on campus. The President will have an important role to play in continuing to cultivate intellectual exploration, creativity, initiative, and accomplishment throughout the institution.

Support St. Lawrence’s commitment to attract and retain a talented, diverse and purposeful student body. The University has experienced a recent surge in applications for admission and has significantly increased its selectivity. It seeks to build on its momentum: continuously improving its market position in the years ahead; managing its considerable financial aid program wisely; enrolling an outstanding and diverse (socio-economically, racially, and internationally) cohort of students each year; and increasing retention and graduation rates even further. The President will be expected to provide leadership in shaping institution-wide initiatives to meet these goals and to participate fully in recruitment activities.

Expand and market our interdisciplinary programs. Interdisciplinary areas of inquiry such as international and environmental studies span the curriculum and take advantage of St. Lawrence’s unique and spectacular location. The next President must be an articulate advocate for the importance of such programs in the education of current and future generations of students for globally-engaged, responsible citizenship.

Exercise wise stewardship of institutional resources. The next President will be challenged to manage the University’s financial, physical and human resources with a view to the long-term sustainability of the institution’s commitments. The President will need to help the institution make decisions about the allocation of its resources, invest strategically in its faculty and staff, and find ways to develop intensively the full potential of existing facilities, programs and initiatives. To achieve these goals, he or she will also need to sustain and add to established bridges and to nurture strong, transparent and collaborative modes of shared governance.

Cultivate the partnership between St. Lawrence University and the Canton community. The President will need to continue to build cordial relations between the University and its neighbors through programs like St. Lawrence’s Canton Initiative, which directs funds toward investment and development opportunities that strengthen the local community and its tax base.

Qualifications and Characteristics
Building on the achievements of President Sullivan, the next President of St. Lawrence University must be a visionary leader who will embrace the character, values and traditions of the Laurentian community and carry them forward into the 21st century in new and exciting ways.

The ideal candidate will possess:
- deep personal integrity;
- a distinguished record of intellectual and administrative accomplishment;
- significant successful experience in fundraising and financial management;
- an understanding of and passion for liberal arts education;
- a transparent, collaborative, accessible leadership style;
- the ability to think and plan strategically;
- exceptional communications skills and the ability to be an articulate national presence on issues of importance to the institution;
- the ability to delegate effectively and to acknowledge publicly and privately the achievements of others;
- a willingness to build a strong partnership with the Board and to share the responsibility for regular evaluation of this relationship;
- an appreciation for the programmatic and interdisciplinary strengths of the St. Lawrence curriculum;
- a willingness to take considered risks to enhance the University;
- a commitment to the environment and sustainability;
- a commitment to advance diversity throughout the institution;
- an appreciation for the North Country and the region’s contributions to the culture of the University; - the ability to inspire all constituencies; and

- an open, reflective and thoughtful spirit.