President

Colby-Sawyer College seeks a bold leader as its next President who will support the College in providing a transformational educational experience for its students. Founded in 1837, with a current total enrollment of close to 900 students, Colby-Sawyer is a dynamic and innovative liberal arts and sciences college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. The President will find a community that celebrates its liberal education foundation as well as one embracing the growth of strong graduate and professional programs. Colby-Sawyer’s strong sense of community, deep commitment to student success, and willingness to go the extra mile for students and for each other has enabled the College to continue to adapt and evolve while maintaining a commitment to its core values. 

One of Colby-Sawyer’s greatest assets is the dedicated faculty known for their excellence in teaching. They have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report with three No. 1 rankings in the last four years in the “Best Undergraduate Teaching” category for Regional Colleges (North). At the undergraduate level, Colby-Sawyer offers a unique Liberal Education Program that equips students with the versatile and transferable skills needed to complete college-level work and prepare for the ever-evolving professional world, as well as expose them to a variety of disciplinary areas and interdisciplinary approaches. During their college careers, 100 percent of Colby-Sawyer students participate in one or more internships in their fields of study. All students conclude their senior year with a Capstone project, in which they develop and demonstrate a deeper body of knowledge in their particular academic field of study. 

Colby-Sawyer’s Liberal Education Program and suite of liberal arts and sciences majors are complemented by a recent expansion of its existing nursing and health sciences program and health science-related education and training through an enhanced affiliation with Dartmouth Health. The Dartmouth Health System is the region’s premier academic health system, which includes Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center ― New Hampshire’s top-ranked medical center and the state’s only level-one trauma center. The College has added an associate of health sciences degree, designed for Dartmouth Health employees, as well as an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, a respiratory therapy bachelor’s completion program, the Master of Science in Nursing program with three focus areas, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The continued growth of these programs will be supported by the brand-new Janet Udall Schaefer ’52 Center for Health Sciences. Opened in the fall of 2024, this state-of-the-art facility will allow Colby-Sawyer to increase enrollment across nursing and health science programs, launch new undergraduate and graduate programs in areas of critical need, and provide new routes into healthcare for individuals at all career stages.

The next President will position Colby-Sawyer for long-term success and financial sustainability at a complex and challenging moment for higher education. Colby-Sawyer is looking for an entrepreneurial and collaborative President who can excite and galvanize the internal and external community around a future that draws on the College’s historic strengths and its continued evolution to meet the current challenging moment for small, regional institutions of higher education. This is a tremendous opportunity for a clear-sighted, creative leader who is seeking to join a caring community dedicated to recognizing and supporting the full potential of their students. 

Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in confidence electronically below.

Jackie Mildner and Phillip Petree are leading this search with Liz Braun and Ryan Smillie.

Colby-Sawyer College is committed to maintaining a diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment which celebrates multiple perspectives. Under institutional policy, as well as under state and federal law (including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Age Discrimination Act), Colby-Sawyer College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices or its admission practices on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; national origin; religion; age; mental or physical disability; parental, family or marital status; veteran status; or sex (including pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or gender expression). Further, Colby-Sawyer College prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates.

The college recognizes that harassment related to an individual's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression can occur in conjunction with misconduct related to an individual's race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, or disability. Targeting individuals on the basis of these characteristics is also a violation of the college policy. Under these circumstances, the college will coordinate the investigation and resolution efforts outlined in the college’s Sex-based Discrimination and Sex-based Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures as well as the Code of Community Responsibility (for students) and Employee Handbook (for employees), to address harassment related to the targeted individual's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression together with the conduct related to the targeted individual’s race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age or disability.