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Association of American Colleges and Universities Announces Seven New Directors and New Slate of Officers for Board of Directors

Dr. David Oxtoby, President of Pomona College, Assumes Position as Chair of the Board, taking over from Dr. Eduardo Padrón, President of
Miami Dade College

Washington, DC—February 23, 2010—At its recent annual meeting in Washington, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) named seven new directors and elected a new slate of officers. Dr. David Oxtoby, president of Pomona College, assumed the position of the chair of the board, taking over from Dr. Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College. Padrón will continue to serve on AAC&U’s Board Executive Committee as Past Chair. David Oxtoby became the ninth President of Pomona College in Claremont, California, in July 2003. Dr. Oxtoby is an internationally-known physical chemist.  He previously served as Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago where he was William Rainey Harper Distinguished Service Professor.  Dr. Oxtoby is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as serving as a member of the Harvard University’s Board of Overseers.  At Pomona College, he is also Professor of Chemistry, and annually teaches a course in environmental chemistry.  

“I am honored to serve as Board Chair in the year ahead; higher education has never been more central to our future,” said AAC&U Board Chair David Oxtoby. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthen our colleges and universities by focusing on a core goal:  a liberal education of the highest quality for all our students.”

In addition to the appointment of Dr. David Oxtoby, AAC&U appointed Helen Giles-Gee, president of Keene State College, as Vice Chair of the Board. Helen Giles-Gee assumed the presidency of Keene State College in July 2005. In addition, Bobby Fong, President, Butler University, will enter his second of three years as Board treasurer in 2010.

New Directors appointed to AAC&U’s board include seven educational leaders from a wide array of institutions. They include:

Sean Decatur, Oberlin College
Zelema Harris, St. Louis Community College
David Hodge, Miami University
Sylvia Manning, Higher Learning Commission
Lester Monts, University of Michigan
Kenneth Ruscio, Washington and Lee University
Sanford Ungar, Goucher College

Sean Decatur is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin College. Previously, he was a member of the faculty at Mount Holyoke College, where he was appointed the Marilyn Dawson Sarles MD Professor of Life Sciences and Professor of Chemistry in 2005. Decatur served as the Associate Dean of Faculty for Science from 2005-2008.

Zelema Harris is the Chancellor of St. Louis Community College. Dr. Harris serves as the CEO of a system that consists of four campuses and three education centers. Dr. Harris has served as president of Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, and as president of Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Hodge is the president of Miami University in Ohio. He came to Miami University from the University Washington, where he was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has been a leader in AAC&U’s work on the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative.

Sylvia Manning is the president of The Higher Learning Commission. She came to The Higher Learning Commission from eight years as Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she focused on advancing the education of 25,000 extraordinarily diverse students, a rapidly expanding research portfolio, a full-spectrum healthcare enterprise, and extensive urban engagement.

Lester Monts is the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Music at the University of Michigan. Monts has served on the music faculties of Edinboro University, University of Minnesota, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. From 1988 to 1993, he served as dean of undergraduate affairs in the College of Letters and Science, where he directed Santa Barbara’s undergraduate honors program.

Kenneth Ruscio is the president of Washington and Lee University. Dr. Ruscio served as the Dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond for four years before assuming his present position.

Sanford J. Ungar is the president of Goucher College. Prior to assuming his position at Goucher, Mr. Ungar was Director of Voice of America, the U.S. government’s principal international broadcasting agency, for two years.

The following individuals serve on AAC&U’s board of directors and were reappointed last month for a second two-year term.  Andrew Delbanco, Columbia University; Mildred García, California State University – Dominguez Hills; Mary Spilde, Lane Community College; Jane Wellman, Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability; Richard Wells, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Ronald Williams, The College Board.

At its recent January 2010 board meeting, AAC&U also honored the following board members for their service as they ended their terms on the AAC&U board: Diana Akiyama, formerly of Occidental College; Carol Cartwright, President, Bowling Green State University; Rebecca Chopp, President, Swarthmore College; Leo Higdon, Jr., President, Connecticut College; Daniel Sullivan, President Emeritus, St. Lawrence University.

“AAC&U’s membership is very fortunate to be led by such a strong and committed board of directors,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider.  “The board’s leadership has contributed greatly to the growth of AAC&U’s membership and the strength of its programs and publications. Following President Padrón’s effective leadership this past year, I am very confident that, along with his fellow board members, President Oxtoby will continue to bring energy, insight and visibility to AAC&U’s continuing commitment to extending the benefits of liberal education to every college student.”

About AAC&U

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises 1,200 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.