Desired Attributes

Leadership at Southwestern will require a substantive track record of achievement, an ability to listen and plan with input across all college stakeholders, and the professional courage to make progressive decisions. Strong education credentials are highly desirable. Personal characteristics of integrity and authenticity are critical, as are an uncompromised work ethic and a genuine sense of humor. The successful Southwestern president will be: 

• A proven leader who will inspire trust, respect, and confidence
• A person who demonstrates an intellectual and emotional commitment to Southwestern’s mission, people, and programs
• A person of financial acumen, who will apply these skills to match SC’s aspirations with its resources
• A person who values teaching, learning, and scholarship, and who will openly acknowledge the centrality of the academic program and the presence of a gifted faculty
• A person who understands online learning and values its contribution to the college’s overall mission
• A person who understands the potential of the comprehensive independent college and can articulate the ideals of liberal arts, professional studies, and the value of their relationship to one another
• A strategic thinker and planner, who will identify existing strengths, nurture creative program priorities, build consensus around future objectives, and implement appropriate initiative-taking
• A person who has experience with successful enrollment management issues, including institutional branding and marketing
• A leader who understands the total student experience and its impact on enhancing and increasing student retention
• An effective fund-raiser, capable of strengthening Southwestern’s philanthropic culture
• A person knowledgeable about current trends in higher education including new technologies, pedagogies, and educational delivery systems
• An effective public spokesperson, who will raise Southwestern’s profile and enhance its reputation at local/regional levels and, where appropriate, nationally and/or internationally
• An authentic communicator who can develop strong human relationships with all campus constituencies and sustain the student-centered quality of the Southwestern community
• A team builder, who can sustain an effective senior leadership team
• A person supportive of spiritual development opportunities as part of quality higher education