The Board of Trustees invites nominations and applications for President of Blackburn College, a historic, private, liberal arts college with a student-managed Work Program located in Carlinville, Illinois, where students learn, work, and earn. The President is the chief executive officer and anticipated to assume office on January 1, 2019.
Blackburn is a rarity in American higher education, a model that combines long-term financial strength, affordability, high academic quality, while focusing on first-generation and low-income students. Its one-of-a-kind student-managed Work Program: engages all resident students as the primary work force for the operation of the College; creates a financial framework for genuine access and affordability for all; enhances a strong liberal arts curriculum with experiential learning; and offers graduates a four-year head start that allows them to excel in graduate schools, professional programs, and the workplace.
Blackburn provides a strong academic liberal arts program of 55 majors, plus minors and related pre-professional areas. It also offers low cost and best value, stability of faculty and leadership, a student faculty ratio of 11 to 1, and a rural location in a “Best Small Town” on a major Amtrak line between Chicago and St Louis. The College operates from a position of financial strength, serving a 600-person student body and 80-acre campus, where most of the buildings have been constructed by students in the Work Program. The College is related to the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The College seeks a President who is a visionary, an experienced administrator, a skilled fundraiser, and a dedicated supporter of the Work Program, of diversity throughout the institution, and of scholarship and teaching in a higher education setting. The successful candidate will also understand collegial decision-making, prosper in a small-town environment, bring credentials and knowledge that enhance the reputation of the college, and be committed to significant interaction with students.
The Presidential Prospectus is posted on the AGB Search website at www.agbsearch.com and additional information is available on the Blackburn College website at www.blackburn.edu.
To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by September 7, 2018 and must include (1) a comprehensive letter of interest that addresses how the candidate meets the preferred qualifications and opportunities for leadership, as described in the Presidential Prospectus, (2) a complete curriculum vitae, and (3) five professional references with e-mail addresses and phone numbers provided. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the applicant.
Applications should be submitted electronically (MS Word or Adobe PDF) to the Presidential Search Committee Chair, Dr. Hazel Loucks, at BlackburnPres@agbsearch.com.
Please direct inquiries and nominations to:
James A. Davis, Ph.D.
Executive Search Consultant
AGB Search
540-539-9415
Blackburn seeks to build an inclusive faculty and administration that can engage the interests of a diverse population; underrepresented persons are strongly encouraged to apply.
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