EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROFILE. presidential search

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1 EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROFILE presidential search

2 THE OPPORTUNITY The next president of Centenary College will take this venerable institution to new heights of success in academic programming, financial management and resources, enrollment growth, and athletic prowess. Strong presidential leadership, fund raising expertise, and a track record of successful decision-making and execution will be expected of the new CEO. THE COLLEGE This Confidential Search will maintain complete confidentiality from initial contact to presidential contract. Only the name of the president-elect will be revealed. Centenary College is located in the beautiful city of Shreveport, Louisiana. Located on 65 wooded and rolling acres, Georgian architecture is abundant in old and new facilities. The College traces its roots to 1825 and has been in Shreveport since The United Methodist Church, with the Louisiana Conference annually giving a substantial grant to the College, owns the institution. It is broadly ecumenical in its overall makeup of students, faculty, administration, staff, and trustees. The Board of Trustees, including its leadership, has been very generous financially to the College and strongly supports it mission and programs. Centenary s faculty is student centered and is made up of distinguished teachers and scholars, among whom are 15 members of Phi Beta Kappa. Faculty mentor students and involve them in their research. Students are above average in SAT and ACT scores and come primarily from Louisiana and Texas (the border is only 18 miles away). Approximately 30% of students are members of NCAA Division I athletic teams. Students are also members of the College Choir, student government, and participate in service learning. 2

3 THE COLLEGE (continued) The largest undergraduate majors are in business, biology, and communication. A wide array of academic programs is offered in the liberal arts and sciences and professional areas. They include such disciplines as ancient and modern languages, biophysics, accounting, education, geology/ geography, history, music, psychology, religious studies, and theatre/dance. The College has the only Geology program in a 100-mile radius. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits Centenary. Carnegie classifies the College as Bac/A&S. The Shreveport Area Over 300,000 people live in the metropolitan area. It is the center of a region known as Ark-LA- Tex. The Red River is located on the city s west bank. The climate is moderate and averages 66 degrees Fahrenheit. The region is known for its oil and natural gas reserves and industry. Even in the current economic climate the region is doing considerably better than the rest of the country. The Haynesville Shale field was recently discovered nearby. Some estimate that it is the largest natural gas resource in the United States and fourth largest in the world. Technological advances are rapidly allowing this energy source to be accessed and made profitable. Its long-term impact on the Shreveport area has many positive implications for the College and community-at-large. Academically, the institution s Family Business Center and planned Energy Business Center are well poised to be important players in this dramatic discovery. A consortium of businesses, state, parish (county), and community leaders are assisting in the development of a $100 million Cyber Innovation Center, along with the officials of the nearby Barksdale Air Base. 3

4 There are a number of possibilities for faculty and student engagement in this important undertaking. Recently, including on the College campus, Hollywood has come to Shreveport. Bruce Willis, Susan Sarandon, and Edward Norton filmed on campus a movie that will be released this summer. Other movie stars that have recently made movies in the area include Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Kevin Costner, and Ashton Kutchar. It is hoped that the College will be a player in this important undertaking. Mission: Centenary is a selective liberal arts college offering undergraduate programs and limited number of graduate programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences which strengthen the foundation for students personal lives and career goals. Students and faculty work together to build a community focused on ethical and intellectual development, respect and concern for human and spiritual values, and the joy of creativity and discovery. Consistent with its affiliation with the United Methodist Church, the College encourages a lifelong dedication not only to learning but also to serving others.in pursuit of these ideals, the College challenges its students throughout their education to write and speak clearly; to read, listen, and think critically; to comprehend, interpret, and synthesize ideas; to analyze information qualitatively and quantitatively; to appreciate the diversity of human cultures; to respect the value of artistic expression; and to recognize the importance of a healthy mind and body and the interdependence of people and the environment 4

5 Background Dr. Kenneth L. Schwab will retire as president of Centenary on June 30, 2009 after serving for 18-years as CEO. He has been a very successful fund raising president, having led a capital campaign in the 1990s that exceeded its goal by nearly $33 million to raise approximately $103 million. One hundred endowed professorships and a number of endowed chairs ($1 million or more) have been achieved. A $9.5 million recreation center and a number of renovations, including student housing have been realized. Also, the campus has been electronically networked with state-of-the-art video and audio connections. Currently the College is engaged in a $100 million campaign that has already raised over $30 million. Two of the most significant goals are: $40 million for endowed scholarships and over $23 million for a science and energy facility. The new president will lead this continuing fund raising initiative. A number of opportunities and challenges await the next president. An enrollment goal of 1,200 students needs to be realized. Expenses are higher than revenues and have required an endowment draw down of approximately 9% in recent years. An unacceptable discount rate of over 60% has been noted and the College is re-examining its membership in NCAA Division I. The governing board has enlisted the assistance of consultants to examine each of these areas. It is expected that significant turnarounds on these challenges will be accomplished before the new president assumes office later this summer. CHALLENGES Major challenges for the next president are: Taking the College to its next level of academic excellence; working with the chief academic officer to develop exciting academic signature programs in the sciences, business, communication, and the humanities; assessing all academic programs with appropriate outcome metrics; Clarifying the College s identity as a liberal arts and pre-professional institution of higher education; Leading a new strategic planning process, linked to multiple-year budgets, for identifying the most important institutional priorities for the future well being of the institution; assessing all institutional outcomes and establishing benchmarks with comparable colleges; Limiting annual spending of the College s endowment, particularly its contribution to the operating budget; eliminating deficit spending and establishing reserves for unexpected financial outcomes; Increasing enrollment to 1,200 students in the next five years; decreasing dramatically the tuition discount rate; improving retention and graduation rates for undergraduates; linking financial aid to building enrollment; examining the re-introduction of adult programs in continuing education and exploring on-line offerings as well; Implementing changes in the athletic program as determined by the Board of Trustees task force; continuing to foster a competitive array of club sports programs; Leading the College s ongoing capital campaign; broadening the major donor base; achieving the campaign goal of $100 million over the next three to five years; increasing the College s endowment and funding important new capital projects, including the new science and energy building; 5

6 CHALLENGES (continued) Propelling the institution to be one of the most important players in the greater Shreveport community; engaging in entrepreneurial initiatives for linking community needs and projects to the academic offerings of the College; and Increasing diversity among faculty, administration, and staff; making special efforts to recruit people of color for the full-time faculty. QUALIFICATIONS The president is the chief executive officer and reports directly to the Board of Trustees. Reporting to the president are the following: the provost and dean of the College, the vice president for development, the vice president for finance and administration, the dean of students, and the director of athletics. The Board of Trustees and the College Community seek a new president who is a person of ideas and vision, an entrepreneur, a strategic thinker, and who: Is a strong leader who can execute decisions after appropriate input and analysis; Has considerable experience in executive administration/management (CEO experience is highly desired and deans of business and law are desired as well); possesses the terminal degree if the person is a traditional candidate; is a person of regional or national recognition in business, the professions, or public service if the person is a non-traditional candidate (should have knowledge of higher education as a trustee or other appropriate position); Is a change agent and knows how to effectively manage change; Demonstrates strong communication skills in speaking, listening, and writing; is transparent in dealing with all stakeholders; Builds and maintains a strong executive team, delegates, and holds them accountable; Knows budgeting and finance; has considerable financial acumen; is an accomplished strategic planner; knows the principles of enrollment management; Has capital campaign experience and a proven track record in fund raising and/or considerable experience in sales and marketing; Knows, or is capable of learning, best practices in higher education and management and communicating them to key stakeholders; Is knowledgeable about NCAA athletics and is interested in supporting the College s teams; Enjoys students and faculty and wishes to be involved in their activities; and Supports and upholds the academic and religious mission of the institution; wishes to be an important leader in the United Methodist Board of Higher Education; gives strong leadership to increasing the College s diversity. 6

7 CENTENARY COLLEGE KEY INDICATORS 2008 Investment in Plant, less depreciation: Plant Replacement Insured Value: Cost of Operating Physical Plant: Endowment: Budget: Tuition: Student Enrollment: Fall 2008: Tuition Discount Rate: Average ACT Score: High School Rankings: Freshman Retention Rate: Living Alumni: Number of Full-time Faculty: Tenured: Average Faculty Salaries: Student/ Teacher Ratio: Degrees: Library Volumes: Athletics League: $30.80 million $96.37 million $3.12 million $ million (6/30/08) $25.90 million $20, (Undergraduates) 68 (Graduates) 64.8% (Freshman, Fall 2008) 23-28; SAT: Top 10%= 30% Top 25%= 57% Top 50%= 85% 72.9% 13, % Professor: $69,732 Associate Professor: $57,871 Assistant Professor: $48,117 12:1 BA, BS, BM, MBA, and MAT 300,000 NCAA Division I Summit League 7

8 APPLICATION PROCEDURES To be considered, candidates should , as MSWord attachments, a cover letter that addresses the challenges and qualifications listed above, a current résumé, and the names, phone numbers, and addresses of five references to: centenary@rhperry.net. Applications are due by April 10, 2009, when screening will begin. For Further Information Contact: DR. ALLEN E. KOENIG, Senior Partner Telephone: (614) Fax: (614) akoenig@rhperry.net R.H. PERRY & ASSOCIATES st Street, NW Washington, DC POLICY R. H. Perry & Associates is committed to the highest standards of professionalism in all dealings with candidates, sources, and references. In this Confidential Search, we pledge that only the name of the new president will be revealed. Centenary College of Louisiana is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. 8