wfn.org | Academic year brings leadership changes to United Methodist schools

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

June 29, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-31-71B{308}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - United Methodist colleges and seminaries across
the country are in transition as new presidents come on board and others
take their leave.

The 2000-01 academic year will be a time of change for 11 of the 123
schools, colleges, and universities related to the denomination. That group
includes three church-related theological schools. Some of the presidential
changes became effective in June.

"Eleven is an unusually high number of turnovers for president positions for
us," said James A. Noseworthy, staff executive of schools, colleges and
universities at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry
in Nashville.

Eight of the changes are related to filling positions of long-term
presidents who have retired, he said. "We are feeling the ripple effect."

Recent surveys have shown the number of years that college presidents serve
is dropping across the board for all public and private universities.
Noseworthy said a survey done by his office showed United Methodist-related
institutions of higher education have a higher retention rate than other
schools. Presidents at United Methodist schools have an average tenure of
more than seven years. The norm for other schools is much lower, at about
five years.

Of the presidents retiring from United Methodist-related institutions this
year, one served 20 years, one served 15 years, two served 14 years, and one
served 12 years.

"Most of the new presidents are moving from one United Methodist school to
another in our system," Noseworthy said.

The movement of the presidents indicates support and belief in the
denomination's institutions, he said. He added that the National Association
of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC) provides
opportunity for the presidents to network and support one another.

"The commitment to the United Methodist Church is strong among the church's
college presidents. The missions of these institutions are similar, the
ethos of the campuses is similar, and the diversity of the institutions
means that a person can serve different United Methodist Church colleges at
difference stages in his or her career," said Peter Mitchell, president of
NASCUMC and of Albion (Mich.) College. 

"United Methodist-related colleges are rewarding places to work," Mitchell
said. "Trustees have a deep and abiding commitment to their alma mater and
therefore work hard to make the presidency fulfilling. The profile of the
presidents is generally a stable, thoughtful, well-established and
well-respected person," he said.

John L. Ewing Jr. talked about his imminent move from Dakota Wesleyan
University in Mitchell, S.D., to Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. He
is succeeding Harold M. Kolenbrander, who is retiring. "I was interested in
the Mount Union position because of the strength and reputation of the
institution and its commitment to the United Methodist Church," he said. 

"President Kolenbrander has done such a marvelous job in making the
institution even stronger by growing the endowment, building new buildings,
and increasing the enrollment. It is a very stable institution. I look
forward to following Harold at Mount Union."

Noseworthy noted another trend occurring in college and university
presidencies throughout the country. An increasing number of women have
become presidents at schools that are not all-female colleges in the last
five years.

Ken Yamada, another staff executive in the division of higher education,
attributes the increase at United Methodist institutions to intentional
efforts to place women in leadership positions.  

The first female to lead a United Methodist-related school was Willa Player,
who was president of historically black Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C.,
from 1955 to 1966. She was followed by Stephanie Bennett-Smith, who became
the leader of Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J., in 1986. Currently,
14 female presidents lead the research universities, four-year colleges,
two-year colleges and pre-collegiate schools of the United Methodist Church.

The presidential and other leadership changes include:

·	The Rev. Russell E. Richey, named dean at Candler School of Theology
in Atlanta. He replaces R. Kevin LaGree, who moved to take a position as
college president at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. Richey was
professor of church history at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C.
·	Maxine Clarke Beach, named dean of Drew University, Madison, N.J.,
replaces Leonard I. Sweet, who is retiring. Beach was a staff member of the
United Methodist General Council on Ministries.
·	The Rev. David Maldonado, named president of Iliff School of
Theology in Denver, replaces the Rev. Donald E. Messer who is retiring.
Maldonado is the first Hispanic to lead a United Methodist-related seminary.
He was a professor at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist
University in Dallas.
·	Robert Duffett, president of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell,
S.D., replaces John L. Ewing Jr., who moves to Mount Union College in
Alliance, Ohio. 
·	Frances Lucas-Tauchar, president of Millsaps College, replaces
George M. Harmon, who is retiring. She will be the first female president in
Millsaps' 110-year history. She was senior vice president for campus life at
Emory University in Atlanta.
·	John L. Ewing Jr., president of Mount Union College in Alliance,
Ohio, replaces Harold M. Kolenbrander who is retiring. Ewing was at Dakota
Wesleyan University. 
·	Charles E. Glassisk, president of North Carolina Wesleyan College in
Rocky Mount, N.C., replaces John B. White, who resigned.
·	Jake B. Schrum, president of Southwestern University in Georgetown,
Texas, replaces W. Richard Merriman Jr., who is retiring. Schrum was
president of Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.
·	Benjamin B. Dunlap, president of Wofford College in Spartanburg,
S.C., replaces Joab M. Lesesne Jr., who is retiring. Dunlap served as
Chapman Family Professor of the Humanities at Wofford.
·	W. Charles Philip, president of Hiwassee College in Madisonville,
Tenn., replaces Curtis R. English, who died last year.
·	Larry L. Earvin, president of Huston-Tillotson College in Austin,
Texas, replaces Joseph T. McMillan Jr., who is retiring. He was dean of the
school of arts and sciences at Clark Atlanta University.

Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., Ferrum (Va.) College and
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., are planning
presidential searches because their current presidents plan to retire in the
2001-02 academic year. Gloria Dean Randle Scott plans to retire in June
2001, after serving as Bennett's president since 1987; Neil Fisher,
president at Garrett-Evangelical, has announced his plans to retire the same
month; and Ferrum's Jerry Boone has announced that he will retire June 30,
2002.  

A search committee also has been named at Columbia (S.C.) College to find a
president by 2001. The school is being led by interim president James Rex.
# # #
Kathy Gilbert, staff member in the Office of Interpretation at the United
Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, contributed to this story.

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United Methodist News Service
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