The American College President Study (ACPS) 2023 Edition found that the majority of today’s leaders still fit the status quo of nearly 20 years ago: white, 60-year-old men. However, the rate of women at an institution’s helm has increased by almost 12% since the turn of the century.

One of higher education’s most notable characteristics today is its elevated leadership turnover. Specifically, the average amount of time respondents had been holding their presidential position upon being surveyed was 2.6 years less than in 2006 (5.9 years today, 8.5 years then). Moreover, 55% of respondents today say they plan on stepping down within the next five years.

“While they may not necessarily be stepping away from the presidency entirely, the prospective loss of institutional knowledge and turnover of presidential leadership will undoubtedly impact hundreds of institutions throughout the higher education sector,” ACPS wrote.

Nearly 60% of respondents were not preparing a successor once they leave.

Additionally, despite 80% of presidents agreeing or somewhat agreeing they have a strong support system with whom to share their feelings and stressors, at least half of all respondents struggled to find people who understood their problems.

More from UB: Presidential exits: Some leave on a high note, others entrenched in scandal

ACPS’ ninth edition breaks down respondents’ answers by gender and race to provide stakeholders of higher education actionable insight into building parity and equity in the presidency. This ninth edition is the first to break down responses by race.

By Gender

Twice as many men as women reported leading a college. The more prestigious a school’s Carnegie Classification became, the starker the disparity.

While more than half of all respondents cited working in higher education’s academic sphere before being selected for the presidency, women were more likely than men to gain the position by taking that traditional path. Colgate University leaders Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar and L. Hazel Jack recommend that one of the most decisive measures higher education can take to boost gender equity in school leadership is to seek female candidates outside of the academic realm. “There’s a bias against women who are not in an academic rank,” Rodriguez-Farrar and Jack wrote.

Women on average began aspiring to become a college or university president later in life than men, but school leadership often taps female candidates for the position at a quicker rate between their initial aspiration and appointment.

By Race

Presidents of color made up over a quarter of all respondents, and female presidents of color made up a little over 10% of respondents.

Female presidents of color were the least likely to report that the search process provided a clear understanding of the institution or system’s responsibilities for the presidency. However, this demographic reported an exceedingly higher rate of respondents who agreed that they had a support system with whom to share their feelings and stressors—about 20% more than white men, white women and men of color.

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The study identified contingent professors as positions ineligible for tenure that are either part-time, full-time non-tenure-track or full-time no-tenure system. This group made up 68% of the academic workforce in the Fall of 2021, which is a 21% jump since the Fall of 1987 (47%). Part-time faculty, usually placed in adjunct appointments, made up almost half of the entire academic workforce at 48% in 2021 and are the primary driver behind the rise in contingent workers. In 1987, part-time faculty made up 33% of the workforce. Full-time non-tenure track faculty, usually in contract-renewable positions, rose by 8%.

As contingent faculty appointments rose, the proportion of full-time tenured faculty fell by 15%. In 1987, they made up 39% of all academic appointments, but in 2021, it shrunk to 24%. Full-time faculty on track for tenure also fell 5%.

Combining all institution types, as recognized by the Carnegie classification type, contingent faculty outweighed tenure and tenure-track faculty 67% to 32% in 2021. Contingent faculty outweighed their counterpart across all institution types, save R1: Doctoral Universities, where it was split evenly.

“Tenure is the primary means of protecting academic freedom and exists not only to protect individual faculty members but also to benefit students and serve the common good by ensuring the quality of teaching and research in higher education,” wrote AAUP in the report. “Overreliance on contingent appointments, which lack the protection of tenure for academic freedom and the economic security of continuing appointments, threatens the success of institutions in fulfilling their obligations to students and to society.”

AAUP does not provide any reasons as to why tenure and tenure-track professors are declining with respect to contingent positions.

More from UB: College professors face the highest exposure to AI tools, study finds

Women and underrepresented minorities (URM) make up a greater proportion of part-time and other contingent appointments. Among full-time employees, for example, 65% of men are tenured or on track, while the same is true for only 54% of women. By race and ethnicity, 67% of Asian full-time workers are tenured or on track, compared to only 58% of URM.

As the proportion of academic appointments has changed in favor of non-tenured faculty, the number of graduate student employees has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, increasing 44% since the Fall of 2002. In that same period, full-time and part-time faculty rose 19%. Many graduate students are tasked with teaching responsibilities, which could lend them the classification of contingent faculty, but the data lacked a definitive understanding of how many of those students are teaching. However, this significant increase in graduate student labor may support the claim that the proportion of contingent faculty is higher than AAUP’s report is willing to suggest.

The AAUP report amalgamated data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database and the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) to study patterns of academic appointments and graduate student employment trends.

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Next on the list with the most women leading the world’s top-ranked schools is the U.K. at eight, followed by a tie between Germany and the Netherlands with five and France with three.

The United States not only made up one-third of the list, but it also made up the vast majority of the ranking’s most elite institutions. Five out of the top 10 women-led schools were from America, four of which reside in the country’s top five. The University of Oxford in the U.K. nabbed the top spot, but MIT and its president, Sally A. Kornbluth, followed right behind. MIT is ranked fifth in overall world rankings, and the University of California Berkeley came in third on this list, eighth overall. The University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University trailed closely behind.

With recent Ivy League presidential appointments, an even higher representation of U.S. schools could easily end up on this list in the future. In July, Harvard and Columbia will officially welcome new presidents, both of whom are women. THE’s overall world rankings currently rank those schools at #2 and #11, respectively. Only 2.5% of THE’s top 200 institutions of higher education are led by women of color, which makes Harvard’s recent appointment of its first Black female president, Claudine Gay, a major milestone. Minouche Shafik from the London School of Economics and Political Science, which ranks seventh among women-led universities and 37 overall, will also be trailblazing her war into Columbia’s top position. She will be their first female president.

More from UB: Emerging leaders: 4 colleges hire their first Black or female—or both—president

“Having an institution like Harvard really take a stand and put a Black woman at the helm—this venerable, revered institution—we hope will send a signal to so many of the other institutions that are still enmeshed in recruiting and procedures and governing boards that are not inclusive,” said Gloria Blackwell, chief executive of the American Association of University Women.

While the United States seems to be making promising leaps, Blackwell alludes to the lack of female representation that plagues schools internationally. The 48 top-ranked women-led colleges were dissected from THE’s top 200 overall. That’s less than a quarter of the world’s best schools being led by women.

However, it does represent a 12% increase compared to last year and a 41% bump from five years ago. In Germany, five of the leading universities are led by women—three more than last year, according to the World Economic Forum.

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The university’s Board of Trustees is meeting next Tuesday to officially hire Sasse, a Republican who voted to impeach and convict former President Donald Trump but has otherwise voted along party lines. But The Faculty Senate of the University of Florida appears set to hold its no-confidence at an emergency meeting on Thursday, saying it is considering the well-being of students and faculty and staff as well as all the other responsibilities that come with leading a sprawling flagship research institution.

“The next President should come already equipped to lead an institution of this caliber rather than aiming to learn on the job,” the Faculty Senate’s no-confidence resolution says. “Anything less will result in a lack of faith in leadership.”

The Faculty Senate is also taking issue with the selection process. A new state law approved earlier this year shields college and university presidential searches from public records requests until the latter stages, WSUF reported. This process has “undermined the trust and confidence of the University of Florida Faculty Senate,” the organization said.

The university, meanwhile, intends to enforce a campus regulation that bars protests inside buildings to prevent students, faculty and others from rallying outside next week’s Board of Trustees meeting, The Gainesville Sun reported.

Sasse, who was the president of Midland University in Nebraska from 2010-2014, called the UF “the most important institution in the nation’s most economically dynamic state.”

“Washington partisanship isn’t going to solve these workforce challenges; new institutions and entrepreneurial communities are going to have to spearhead this work,” Sasse said earlier this month. “The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, and how Americans work—and so it’s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too.”

More from UB: How your future students’ needs are changing in 5 big ways 

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University Business has reached out to the Board to see why there was a sudden change of heart from those in the pool. Until now, those candidates had to be kept secret under a new Florida law. Roger Tovar, the Presidential Search Committee Chair, noted in a letter to the FIU community that it was “due to an unwillingness by other individuals to continue their candidacy, unless they were the sole recommendation of the committee.”

Tovar said the search committee had interest from as many as 70 leaders before it narrowed down its list through a battery of interviews with a dozen high-quality candidates. It is unclear whether they backed out for personal reasons or whether controversial new legislation and decision-making at the state level dissuaded them. In recent months, Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken aim at higher education, pushing through bills intended to limit faculty tenure, while forcing institutions to change accreditors every cycle and launch diversity surveys for students. He’s had the backing on several initiatives by new chancellor-elect Ray Rodrigues, a Republican. Any choice for president at Florida’s public institutions ultimately must meet the approval of the university system’s board of governors.

Even the 67-year-old Jessell, who spent more than 25 years up the turnpike at Florida Atlantic University as Senior VP of Financial Affairs, was reluctant about the permanency of the job. He has been at FIU since 2009, with Chief Financial Officer among his roles.

“[He] initially said he was not interested in applying for this position,” Tovar said. “We recruited him because many of us thought he was ideal for the position and several members of the community reached out to the search firm to nominate Dr. Jessell. We are thankful he ultimately decided to answer the call to become a candidate.”

More from UB: Woke-up call: UF president sends video to faculty to deal with DeSantis-backed bill

But for now, he is the leading man to lead FIU, an institution celebrating its 50^th anniversary. And that is a pretty good place to be–in the heart of Miami at an R1 university that has always been an international business power, but has strengthened many other programs to become a formidable and affordable institution that can deliver flexible career paths for students.

“Our climb in the U.S. News rankings, together with these additional rankings [No. 32 from Washington Monthly], point to incredible momentum and put FIU among the nation’s most prestigious institutions,” Jessell said. “By focusing on academics, research, and student success, we are elevating our community and the state and creating an extraordinary return on investment for our students.”

He received a strong endorsement from Tovar, who believes he can carry through that momentum.

“He’s the right leader to keep us moving forward as a leading research institution,” Tovar said. “I have observed and worked with Dr. Jessell for years in his role as CFO and have had many opportunities to experience his work ethic, strategic thought process, and unwavering integrity. He is brilliant and kind and has steered us through an important transition at a pivotal moment for FIU.”

The institution he left behind, FAU, also has made temporary movement in its quest to replace outgoing leader John Kelly. Chief operating officer Stacy Volnick, who has been with the university in administrative positions since 1991, has been nominated for the interim president role as the Boca Raton institution searches for a permanent replacement.

Volnick is a strong choice, having looked after many vital day-to-day functions in her current role, from public safety and facilities management to human resources, emergencies and the operations of the president’s office. However, she has told the university and its board of trustees that she is not interested in the position long-term.

The post With only one president candidate left, this Florida search committee nominated him appeared first on University Business.

The fun moment, promoted and captured on social media and sure to become viral, was part of a dare to Hardgrave last year when he was pitching to become the university’s next president. He earned the job in November and officially took over the post in April, but his true welcome came during that opening day soaking.

He told the Commercial Appeal after a second scamper through the fountains, “Every year, at the start of the fall semester, this oughta be a tradition,” Hardgrave said. “So we just started it today.”

Hardgrave, the former Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Auburn University, is one of many new presidents on campuses across the country. He took over for David Rudd, who had been in the post since 2014. One of his early goals this year, in addition to getting acclimated to Memphis and the new environment, is developing a new strategic plan for the university, a process that should be completed by next summer, along with addressing several challenges facing higher education.

“The university has advanced incredibly over the last several years,” Hardgrave said during a recent question and answer session with campus leaders. “The last strategic plan, however, was written in 2017, and the world is a very different place in just those five years. It is time for us to think about how we set this university up not just for the next couple of years, but for the next decade. This has to be a comprehensive process – our alumni, our business community, our students, our faculty, everybody will be involved in this, we as we set the, the path forward for the next several years.”

One of the parts of the plan is likely ensuring that the next generation of students is given opportunities to excel in emerging, tech-driven careers.

“One of the things that we have to do as an educational institution is make sure that we are partnering with others, to provide whatever that workforce need may be,” he said. “I’ve already had conversations with the superintendent of the Shelby County school system, with the head of our technical schools, with our community colleges. We have to all work together to create an educational ecosystem.”

More from UB: President Series: The 4 areas that colleges must address to be strong over the next decade

Another is ensuring that his institution and others across the state of Tennessee and the nation remain affordable and cost-effective.

“The worst thing we can do is have somebody stop out because we know that the chances are really low that they come back,” Hardgave said. “We’ve got to find a way to financially support those students. If I had to look at those major initiatives that we have to have, one of them is more money to help those students beyond just a merit scholarship, to help them with food and books. I know we will rise to the challenge, but we’re going to need our alumni and friends in the business community to help us with that because we can’t do it by ourselves.”

Around the nation

• Pamela Fox, the president at 181-year-old Mary Baldwin University in Virginia, is retiring at the end of June 2023 after 20 years. Among her long list of accomplishments: increasing enrollment and students of color (now more than 50%), adding 30 new degrees and programs as well as a series of infrastructure improvements, led by its College of Health Sciences. “I have been extraordinarily honored to lead and serve alongside each of you,” Fox told the Mary Baldwin community. A plan for a successor has not been announced.
• Laura Casamento, the first woman to serve as president at Utica University in New York, will retire in May after seven years, saying that “in recent years, [my husband] Phil and I have suffered losses and faced life-threatening illness. While I am happy to share that our family is well – and as many of you know we were blessed with the addition of our sixth grandchild this summer – it is fair to say that these experiences, collectively, have made the runway to retirement a bit shorter than we may have envisioned it two or three years ago.” Casamento, who said she never desired to be president, also said she knew when she would be ready to exit. Utica’s new strategic plan will be set in motion in 2023-24.

The post Memphis president’s ‘Fountain Dash’ highlights newsy first week of fall appeared first on University Business.

So it unanimously voted to install Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips as interim president, relying on a man who “has been the steward of the university’s academic mission” for more than a decade to guide them during the transition period as it searches for a permanent leader. He starts Thursday.

“[Patrick] brings decades of experience and leadership as well as deep connections to the university and our community,” said Ginevra Ralph, chair of Oregon’s Board of Trustees. “We are confident he, along with the vice presidents and deans of the schools and colleges, will allow the university to not lose any of its momentum building upon our academic and research impact and our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and student success. The university is very fortunate to have such a strong, visionary leader who can maintain the upward trajectory of this institution.”

Phillips, a well-respected biologist and head of that Oregon department, had been an adviser to Schill among many other roles, including director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution and inaugural executive director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. The board noted his penchant to bring together stakeholders from across various teams on campus and in the public sphere, where he has helped shepherd $8 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health.

“I could not be more firmly committed to this role as interim president, and will invest all of my energy to help define how we could best serve our broader role as a university in the state that is completely authentic to the University of Oregon,” Phillips said.

More from UB: Northwestern turns to University of Oregon’s Schill as next president

In his first move as interim leader, he temporarily shifted Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Janet Woodruff-Borden into the role he served. The Board has not set a timeframe for how long the search will take, though it is slated to begin discussions Sept. 15.

“Although this is a time of change, it is also a time of great excitement for our university,” Ralph said. “The university will continue to bring to life our academic and research initiatives, further the success and support of our students, and cement our place as one of the top research universities in the country. We are excited for our entire university community to be part of these efforts and the incredible opportunities that will come from them.”

Schill had been president at Oregon for seven years before the opening surfaced at Northwestern, a position he took immediately after its choice for next president, Rebecca Blank, was diagnosed with cancer and had to resign. Schill had been instrumental in leading Oregon to unprecedented heights, including stretching its endowment to $1.3 billion and raising graduation rates by 10 points. He believes strongly in his interim successor.

“I know you have made a great choice in Patrick in the interim president,” Schill added. “Patrick has been a major partner in almost everything I’ve done since we’ve moved through my presidency.”

Huston-Tillotson has a new leader

Melva Williams, former vice chancellor in the Southern University system, has been named the new president of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. She replaces Colette Pierce Burnette, who retired in late June after seven years.

Williams brings a long list of credentials in higher education, including chief of staff and vice president of academic and student affairs for the Southern University system, associate dean at Centenary College of Louisiana and program director at Grambling State University, where she earned her bachelor’s and masters degrees. She hopes to grow and improve graduation and retention rates at this historically black liberal arts university, the first higher ed institution in Texas, which enrolls around 1,000.

“I am honored and energized to serve as HT’s second female president,” Williams said.  “The trust of the Board of Trustees and the HT Presidential Search Committee is very much appreciated, and I look forward to advancing an aggressive agenda that will ensure HT’s continued success.”

Among her other accomplishments, Williams has been a lecturer, speaker and senior director of programming for the Clinton Presidential Center. She is also co-founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation.

Williams earned a doctorate in higher education from Jackson State University (Mississippi) and a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Grambling State University (Louisiana).

Around the nation: Anne Blackhurst, president at Minnesota State University at Moorhead, announced she will retire next June after eight years. A leader who helped put together a $60 million capital campaign, she was a staunch supporter of the institution and its tradition, so much so that she has worn red in some fashion every day since taking the position in 2014.

“Few things are as important to me as our mission of preparing students for their futures. Stepping away from MSUM—and the Dragon family—will not be easy,” Blackhurst said. “But I firmly believe it’s a leader’s responsibility to know when the time is right for someone new to take the lead. After eight years as MSUM’s president, and an especially challenging year for me personally, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire.”

A former provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, she helped boost by double digits MSU-Moorhead’s graduation rates, including those of students of color. Prior to the positions at Moorhead, she held several leadership roles at Mankato, including dean of graduate studies and research and chair of the department of counseling and student personnel.

The post University of Oregon names provost Phillips as interim president to succeed Schill appeared first on University Business.

Insko has led EOU for the past seven years. Many leaders who have announced their departures this year have struggled to last that long, let alone 2,555 days. As a recent article from Oregon Public Broadcasting noted, Insko and the University of Oregon’s Michael Schill were currently the last university presidents in the state standing since 2015 – that is, until Schill just took the Northwestern University job on Thursday. OPB said many of the other regional publics either have installed new leaders in the past two years or are in the process of replacing current leaders.

Those who worked closely with Insko gave him high marks for helping boost access and diversity at Eastern Oregon, even if his term turned out to be less than a decade.

“Tom was a non-traditional president with a background in operations and financial management, but it proved to be exactly the kind of leadership we needed,” said Richard Chaves, chair of the board of trustees. “He set a high bar for our next president, but we are confident we will attract a high-caliber leader who can continue to advance the path forward.”

President Series: The 4 areas that colleges must address to be strong over the next decade

The EOU position is among a number of president and chancellor jobs that remain open nationally as boards as contend with departures, including one at the University of New Haven and another at Ocean County College in New Jersey. In its job posting, Ocean County is looking for someone who will “increase enrollment, retention and completion” and “continue to generate new sources of revenue in a time of decreasing traditional resources.” Not too challenging, right? But that is the landscape in 2022, as pressure mounts on presidents to hit those numbers, manage tight budgets, travel heavily, appease faculty and reach campaign targets. Interestingly, a number of more youthful presidents have emerged this year to replace outgoing leaders in their 60s and 70s, including the 46-year-old Sian Beilock at Dartmouth, 45-year-old Mung Chaing at Purdue University and 41-year-old Steve Soule at Canisius.

So, will that new generation of talent remain for a decade or three? Or could the career-tenure days of Eliphalet Nott, who led Union College from the early 1800s through the Civil War for 61 years, be long gone? Since 2018, more than a dozen leaders with 30-plus years of experience have decided to walk away, including Freeman Hrabowski at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, William Harvey at Hampton University and Janet Eisner at Emmanuel College in Boston in the past year. Those institutions that have opted to go younger can look to the example set by music conductor Leon Botstein, who was hired at 23 to be president at Bard College and is still going strong 47 years later.

LASTING IN HIGHER ED

Here are some of the presidents (and those who have transitioned to chancellor) who are among the longest-tenured leaders in the United States. Some are more active in their roles than others:

49 years: Richard Gouse, New England Institute of Technology; Bob Jones III, Bob Jones University

48 years: Lionel Bordeaux, Sinte Gleska University (SD)

47 years: Leon Botstein, Bard College (NY)

43 years: Janet Eisner, Emmanuel College (MA) (being replaced soon)

42 years: Pat Robertson, Regent University (VA)

34 years: John F. McArthur, The Master’s College (CA); Charles Conn, Lee University (TN)

32 years: Scott Miller, Virginia Wesleyan (VA); Jerry Davis, College of the Ozarks (MO); Gary Cook, Dallas Baptist University (TX)

31 years: Jack Hawkins, Troy University (AL)

FLAGSHIP LEADERS: THE SHORTLIST

These are current presidents (and a few chancellors in state systems where that title doesn’t exist) at flagship universities in the United States and the year they began their tenures. Remarkably, about half have or will have taken their posts since the pandemic began:

LESS THAN ONE YEAR

Pennsylvania State University: Neeli Bendapudi (2022)

University of Alaska Fairbanks: Pat Pitney (2022)

University of Colorado Boulder: Todd Saliman (2022)

University of Connecticut: Radenka Maric (interim, 2022)

University of Michigan: Santa Ono (president-elect, 2022)

University of South Carolina: Michael Amiridis (2022)

University of Wisconsin–Madison: Jennifer Mnookin (2022)

LESS THAN FIVE YEARS

Indiana University Bloomington: Pamela Whitten (2021)

Louisiana State University: William Tate IV (2021)

Texas A&M University: Katherine Banks (2021)

University of Iowa: Barbara Wilson (2021)

University of Rhode Island: David Dooley (2021)

University of Utah: Taylor Randall (2021)

Rutgers University: Jonathan Holloway (2020)

University of California, Berkeley: Michael Drake (2020)

University of Maryland, College Park: Darryll Pines (2020)

University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Ted Carter (2020)

University of Nevada, Reno: Brian Sandoval (2020)

University of North Dakota: Andrew Armacost (2020)

The Ohio State University: Krista Johnson (2020)

University of Oklahoma: Joseph Harroz Jr. (2020)

University of Tennessee: Randy Boyd (2020)

University of Texas at Austin: Jay Hartzell (2020)

West Virginia University: E. Gordon Gee (2020, second term)

University of Wyoming: Edward Seidel (2020)

University of Idaho: C. Scott Green (2019)

University of Minnesota: Joan Gabel (2019)

University of Mississippi: Glenn Boyce (2019)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Kevin Guskiewicz (2019)

University of Vermont: Suresh Garimella (2019)

University of Montana: Seth Bodnar (2018)

University of Maine: Joan Ferrini-Mundy (2018)

University of New Hampshire: James Dean (2018)

University of New Mexico: Garnett Stokes (2018)

University of South Dakota: Sheila Gestring (2018)

University of Virginia: James Ryan (2018)

FIVE YEARS OR MORE

University of Kansas: Douglas Girod (2017)

University of Missouri: Mun Choi (2017)

University of Alabama: Stuart Bell (2015)

University of Delaware: Dennis Assanis (2015)

University of Florida: Kent Fuchs (2015, will depart in December)

University of Massachusetts Amherst: Marty Meehan (2015)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Timothy Killeen (2015)

University of Oregon: Michael Schill (2015)

University of Washington: Ana Mari Cauce (2015)

University of Hawaii at Mānoa: David Lassner (2014)

Clemson University: Jim Clements (2013)

Purdue University: Mitchell Daniels Jr. (2013)/Mung Chiang (2023)

University of Georgia: Jere Morehead (2013)

MORE THAN 10 YEARS

University of Arkansas: Donald Bobbitt (2011)

University at Buffalo: Satish Tripathi (2011)

University of Kentucky: Eli Capilouto (2011)

The post Can new wave of college presidents last 5 years or more in the job? appeared first on University Business.

APUS, which includes both American Military University and American Public University, hopes CEO Nuno Fernandes can bring some of the success he enjoyed leading higher education platform Ilumno to its two online institutions. In the past decade, Ilumno has helped educate more than 200,000 students in Latin America and retained them at a 90% clip—strong numbers in areas often challenged to provide postsecondary opportunities.

“Nuno has an outstanding track record of combining his extensive experience in education, business and technology to make quality higher education more affordable and accessible, which aligns completely with our values and vision,” said Frank Ball, chairman of the APUS Board of Trustees. “I welcome Nuno to join us in moving APUS into the future.”

Fernandes will replace acting president Dr. Katherine Zatz at APUS, which has seen several leadership changes over the past six years. Zatz had stepped in for outgoing president and former Kaplan University leader Wade Dyke, who left in November 2021 after a year and a half. Before that, Wallace Boston had served two terms, sandwiched around a stint from Karan Powell, who is now interim vice president of academic affairs at Saint Francis University. Fernandes is expected to start on Sept. 1, and he is excited about the possibilities.

“I’m honored to have been selected to serve APUS as we continue to make affordable, high-quality online higher education more accessible to populations globally,” Fernandes said. “APUS has such a storied history. I look forward to making APUS’ value proposition more known and relevant in the U.S. marketplace and beyond.”

Fernandes arrives at a pivotal moment for the for-profit American Public Education, Inc., and other for-profits as they stare down increased scrutiny from ED, particularly those that purport to serve veterans and military members. The American Military University, for example, does not have any tangible military connection other than the students who attend. And while it may be affordable (averaging $11,916 after aid) and accessible for its 88,000-plus students (the National Center for Education Statistics lists 48,200), there have been questions raised about its outcomes on completion and students’ ability to pay back loans.

In 2018, the APUS settled a lawsuit with the state of Massachusetts over its targeting of veterans with GI Bills and failure to disclose data on graduation rates, in which it agreed to amend its disclosure policies. In January, it had a potential agreement to serve online students with the California College Community system reversed by then chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. At the time, Veterans Education Success President Carrie Wofford said of the deal: “California never should have signed a contract with a predatory for-profit college that was sued by law enforcement for high-pressure enrollment tactics and failing to disclose job prospects to student veterans and military students. We applaud Chancellor Oakley for protecting students from fraud.”

A study done by the Veterans Education Project, which defended for-profit institutions in some areas but not in others, showed that while not exceptional, the APUS does have a 42% completion rate among military students, which is light years better than the bottom 20% of less-selective public institutions (22.7%). It also does well on reported median earnings after graduation among those individuals at $43,800, nearly doubling the outcomes of the least selective publics. APUS also had its accreditation extended by the Higher Learning Commission beyond 2030. On the flip side, its students default on their student loans at about the same rates as those that are least selective but do so far more often than those who attend the for-profit University of Phoenix, Ashford University and Trident International University. They also struggle with repayments at just 22.9%.

More from UB: University of Montana president shares how higher ed can work for veterans

One of the keys to the future for for-profits, especially those that serve veterans, is the enhanced 90/10 rule from the Department of Education, which means that they can’t skirt that 10% designated strictly for outside funding sources.

“Prior to the proposed change, a loophole led some institutions to aggressively target [military] populations because every $1 brought in from these students meant they could receive $9 more in Department of Education aid without needing to secure any private investment,” ED said in a statement, referring to the GI Bill. “The proposed changes would strengthen the 90/10 calculation by ensuring institutions cannot evade the metric, including by counting revenue from the sale of institutional loans, income-share agreements, or similar alternative financing options.”

Will Fernandes help ensure that APUS meets that goal and others? Despite the pushback it has received, APUS remains the most popular education choice for veterans because of its flexibility. It serves a population of mostly white students, but 87% have military ties, including a large number of active duty members. The institutions, which have frozen tuition in each of the past three years, offer more than 200 degree and certificate programs, mainly to bachelor’s degree seekers, led by security/IT, STEM, health sciences, business and humanities.

Elsewhere: The Hartford Courant is reporting that Steve Kaplan, the president at the University of New Haven, is leaving the institution because of “university politics.” Kaplan was set to take on the role of chancellor and CEO under a new dual leadership structure where Sheahon Zenger would be interim president while the board looked for a permanent one over the next year. Zenger had been the university’s director of athletics and recreation. But the Courant said a letter it obtained from its board of governors showed that unhappy faculty pressed Kaplan to exit early. Kaplan had been considering retirement before the change. The university has issued no comment or announcement on Kaplan’s decision.

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Two leaders who have overseen a slew of successes at their universities during the past decade announced they will be stepping down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

University of North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs said she is planning to retire next June, while Wayne State University’s M. Roy Wilson did not offer a reason that he will not pursue a contract extension at the end of July 2023. They join the growing scroll of presidents who are walking away from power posts after enduring more than two years of the COVID pandemic and facing new challenges, including meeting lofty enrollment and fiscal goals.

Like the dozens who have relinquished control over the past few months, they offered upbeat statements about the resiliency of their institutions as they head toward 2030 under new leaders.

“Wayne State today is strong and has a promising future,” Wilson said. “Together we have made great strides and I am proud to have served this institution and privileged to be a part of this community. I am deeply grateful that this university gave me my voice as a leader. I did not have a place that I called home when I first came here, but going forward I will always proudly call Wayne State and Detroit my home.”

Jacobs, the first-ever woman to be selected president of the institution in 2011, said she is remaining for another year to ensure that the university remains strong while it searches for her successor. “Our momentum points to a bright future,” Jacobs said. “I am announcing my plans now to ensure the Board of Regents has ample time to select UNG’s next president and to provide for a stable transition over this next year as we celebrate North Georgia’s 150th anniversary.”

Jacobs received high praise from the head of Georgia’s university system, Chancellor Sonny Perdue, for her efforts in transforming the former North Georgia College & State University into a standout university that last year was named the best public institution in the state for value and for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. Under Jacobs’ leadership, North Georgia has grown to nearly 19,000 students across five campuses, which includes a more than 20% increase in enrollment in just a decade, a 40% increase in research grants and a 64% boost in scholarships for students.

“She has been a trailblazer ever since,” said Perdue. “Over the past decade, she has been a critical factor in the university’s growth and how it has helped students find success and prosperity. President Jacobs has been a great leader for its campuses and the university system. I’m grateful for her leadership and service.”

Wayne State had flourished under Wilson since his start in 2013 and until the pandemic hit, seeing a 21-percentage point rise in the number of six-year graduates through 2018. It also had its biggest incoming class in the fall of 2020. But over the past two years, there have been noticeable declines in enrollees. However, fundraising efforts and research grants continued to hit or exceed their targets.

“The impact of President Wilson’s transformative leadership will be felt for years to come,” Board of Governors chair Mark Gaffney said. “He has led our campus in putting students and their success above all else, furthering the university’s role in providing life-changing opportunities for all students to earn a college degree. We are grateful for his years of service and commitment.”

Candidate pools are expected to open by respective boards this fall.

More from UB: The President Series

• Minerva: A look at the world’s most innovative university
• Florida Gulf Coast: From Dunk City to world impact, the rise of FGCU
• Holy Cross: Tradition reigns, but change has been positive
• University of Oklahoma: A flagship university that is changing lives on campus
• Western New England: What is a new traditional university and why is the vision so vital?
• Midland: Small university continues to be ‘relentlessly relevant
• Purdue: Growth tied to keeping students at center of bulls-eye
• Muhlenberg: Leading the way as pioneers for women
• Stetson: Why kindness has been one of the keys to Stetson’s success
• Waubonsee CC: Remaining relevant requires deep focus on students, employees
• Dominican: Providing support for first-gen students
• Rockland CC: Is this a time of opportunity for community colleges?
• University of Montana: How higher ed can work for veterans
• Quinnipiac: Creating partnerships and lifelong learning
• University of New England: The 4 areas that colleges must address to be strong over the next decade

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