PRESIDENT

Oberlin College & Conservatory (“Oberlin” or “the College”), a highly selective residential liberal arts college and conservatory of music, seeks its fifteenth President. Long recognized as one of the finest liberal arts institutions in the country, the institution is celebrated for its range of educational offerings, combining an excellent college of arts and sciences, the nation’s oldest continuously operating conservatory, and an internationally-acclaimed academic art museum on a single campus. Oberlin prepares students for lives of sustained intellectual inquiry and artistic exploration; societal engagement and civic purpose; and leadership and service. An Oberlin education is deep, broad, and meaningful, and enables graduates to stand out as innovative thinkers, social activists, and leaders.

Founded in 1833 by Presbyterian missionaries, Oberlin has always engaged with the history of its times. It was the first college in America to adopt a policy to admit African-American students (1835) and the first to grant bachelor’s degrees to women in a coeducational program (1841). At the turn of the twentieth century, W. E. B. DuBois estimated that Oberlin had educated one-third of all African-American graduates of predominantly white colleges and universities. Today, Oberlin offers a diverse and inclusive residential learning environment that encourages a free and respectful exchange of ideas, and that is informed by a shared commitment to a just society.

The next President will have a tremendous platform to leverage Oberlin’s formidable history and assets, propelling the institution toward a bold, distinctive, and sustainable future. The College has recently concluded two efforts that will bolster and guide this work. In early 2016 the faculty and Board of Trustees approved the Oberlin College Strategic Plan 2016-2021, an aspirational document that proposes future directions for the institution. And in June 2016, the College closed a capital campaign, Oberlin Illuminate, after raising $317 million (surpassing its goal of $250 million). The current value of the endowment is $750 million.

Oberlin seeks a president with a professional and personal commitment to the academic, artistic, and pedagogical aims of the institution as well as the progressive history of the College. This president will bring broad intellectual curiosity; an inclusive, collaborative leadership style; financial and fundraising acumen; and a natural inclination toward community engagement and social action.

A Presidential Search Committee composed of trustees, faculty, students, staff, and alumni is working with Isaacson, Miller, the national executive recruiting firm, to assist on this important search. Confidential inquiries, nominations/referrals, and resumés with cover letters should be directed electronically to: Rebecca Swartz, Anita Tien, or Ben Tobin at Isaacson, Miller: www.imsearch.com/6060. 

Oberlin College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the development of a climate that supports equality of opportunity and respect of differences based on gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. Oberlin was the first coeducational institution to grant bachelor’s degrees to women and historically has been a leader in the education of African-Americans; the College was also among the first to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. In that spirit, there is a particular interest in encouraging applications from individuals who would contribute to the diversity of Oberlin.