January 14, 2020

The Board of Trustees of Rosemont College has announced the appointment of Jayson Boyers, EdD as the College’s 14th President.

Currently the President of Cleary University in Howell, Michigan, Dr. Boyers will assume office on July 1st, following the May 31st retirement of President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, PhD. Provost Lisa M. Dolling, PhD, will serve as Interim President for the month of June.

“By a unanimous vote, the Board of Trustees has elected Dr. Jayson Boyers as Rosemont College’s 14^th President,” said Maria Feeley, Esq., Chair of the Board of Trustees and an alumna of the Class of 1993. “Already an experienced college president, Dr. Boyers is an inspiring, innovative, and accomplished leader with an impressive track record of success in higher education. His appreciation for Rosemont’s mission, enthusiasm for the POWER of small and its many benefits, deep understanding of the landscape of higher education, experience as a proven leader, and his excitement for the College’s future make him the ideal person to continue the trajectory forged by President Hirsh and to ensure that Rosemont flourishes for generations to come.”

Before serving as President of Cleary University, Dr. Boyers was the Vice President and Managing Director of Continuing Professional Studies (National Online Division) for Champlain College in Vermont. In 2017, he earned a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership at Creighton University. He has a Master of Leadership Development degree in Organizational Leadership from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of Indianapolis.

Dr. Boyers is a nationally regarded expert in the field of higher education and has been published in The Huffington Post, Diverse Magazine, WSJ MarketWatch, Crain’s Business, and Forbes. He has also been covered nationally for his education strategies in The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher ED.

The College partnered with Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates a national search firm based in Media, Pennsylvania that specializes in higher education, to assist with the search through an inclusive process that included input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Rosemont College. Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates worked with a diverse Presidential Search Committee which included: Maria Feeley, Esq. ’93, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Marcia Sichol, SHCJ, PhD, Trustee and Former Provincial Leader of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus; Ann Marshall ’66, Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Co-chair of the College’s recent $40 million Campaign;  Kathy Trainor ‘70, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Retired CEO and Founder of Instructional Technology Group, Inc.; Robert Massa, EdD, Former Member of the Board of Trustees and Honorary Trustee; Tina Bizzarro, PhD, Undergraduate College Faculty Member; Adam Lusk, PhD, Undergraduate College Faculty Member & Faculty Council Co-chair; Karen L. Geiger, Director of Student Services for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies; and Julianna Capece ‘20, President of the Student Government Association.

After receiving interest from more than 75 impressive candidates, including numerous sitting presidents and provosts, with varied backgrounds and from a range of institutions, the Committee vetted and narrowed the pool of candidates with the assistance of the Storbeck firm. The Committee invited four finalist candidates to confidential on-campus meetings with faculty members, administrators, staff members, students, the President and President Elect of the Alumni Association, the Provincial Leader of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, members of the Board of Trustees, and President Hirsh.  Following the on-campus visits, and after review of the feedback from those who met the candidates, the Committee recommended that the Board of Trustees interview three candidates. After interviewing the three remaining candidates, the Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Boyers as the College’s 14th President.

Dr. Boyers’ selection by the Board was rooted in the Trustees’ appreciation for the success that he has achieved at Cleary University during his tenure as its President, and his commitment to Rosemont’s mission. In his time as President, Dr. Boyers transformed Cleary’s physical campus, rebuilt its aging technology infrastructure to enrich the student experience, restructured debt, strengthened Cleary’s engagement with the local community, strengthened institutional advancement and development initiatives, and rebuilt the admissions systems to recruit traditional, adult, and corporate students resulting in a 24% increase in enrollment over two years.

Ms. Feeley also offered that, “The Board is confident that Dr. Boyers’ commitment to Catholic educational values and Rosemont’s Cornelian heritage will help to guide the College community and ensure that the College continues to fulfill its mission. The Board is also enthusiastic about the fundraising success that Dr. Boyers has enjoyed and is excited about the energy he will bring to his relationships with alumni and members of the greater Rosemont College community. The Board set out to find a proven leader with enthusiasm for the College’s future who will work tirelessly with the faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the Rosemont community members to ensure that the College continues to flourish. We are confident we found just that in President Elect Boyers.”

Dr. Boyers plans to visit campus in the coming months to meet with members of the College community.   When asked for his thoughts on joining the Rosemont College community, Dr. Boyers stated, “It has been a deep desire of mine to lead a college rooted in the tradition of a Catholic education that brings together vocation, mission, and compassioned reason.  I am excited to continue the College’s recent focus on increasing academic quality and developing new academic programs, utilizing the newly dedicated $15 million Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center as a recruitment tool, and continuing the momentum of the College’s recent successful $40 million fundraising Campaign.”

Board Chair Maria Feeley, Esq. shared news of Dr. Boyers’ appointment as President with the College’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni on Tuesday, January 14^th.