Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts invites applications and nominations for the position of President. The College is seeking a leader that will work tirelessly and self-sacrificially in service to the college’s radical vision for Catholic liberal arts education, while calling others to do the same.
Magdalen College is a small, residential, Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1973, as part of a wave of renewal in American Catholic higher education. The College rests on the 3,500-foot Mount Kearsarge in Warner, New Hampshire, a town of 2,800 residents in the Lakes Region, just 30 minutes from Concord, NH, and 90 minutes from Boston.
The College’s curriculum includes five majors and integrates the study of the Great Books with the classical liberal arts and fine arts. To its student body of under 100 undergraduates, Magdalen College offers the opportunity to pursue wisdom in a spirit of friendship, animated by a communion of faith. For more information about Magdalen, please explore our website: https://magdalen.edu/
The president of Magdalen has two main responsibilities: first, to articulate the mission of the college to a range of stakeholders; second, to actualize that mission through responsible administration.
The mission of Magdalen is distinctive within higher education, so it must be articulated clearly and frequently to students, faculty, staff, donors, and parents. Although all members of our community should be able to explain the mission of the college, the next president will have the ultimate responsibility to do so. The president has an extraordinary degree of interaction with constituents, and he or she has a tremendous impact on the external relations of the college, especially development and admissions. Candidates should have a deep understanding of and love for the liberal arts, as well as a willingness to learn the position of Magdalen within the liberal arts tradition. Of course, candidates should also passionately articulate the connection between this tradition and the Catholic faith that animates Magdalen.
The administration of Magdalen implicates the president more directly than at many institutions. Because of the college’s unique size, the president must work directly with key leaders, such as the Academic Dean, Chief Financial Officer, and Dean of Students, to ensure that the daily operations of the college adhere to the highest standards of academic life. A strong candidate will be able to demonstrate experience managing employees, setting goals, tracking progress, and achieving measurable results.
The most qualified candidates will possess:
Applicants should also be active members in good standing in the Roman Catholic Church and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Each fall semester, the president, the Catholic members of the faculty and staff, and the members of the board of trustees take an oath of fidelity to the magisterium in the presence of the bishop.
To ensure full consideration by the search committee, applicants should submit by November 23rd a comprehensive cover letter, complete CV, the names and addresses of five (5) professional references, and a statement explaining the candidate’s understanding of Ex Corde Ecclesiae as it relates to the position and to Magdalen’s role as an institution of learning. All applications and nominations will be handled in confidence. Applications should be submitted by email with the subject line “Presidential Search – MC” to: [email protected]
Starting date of the position is negotiable.
In administering its affairs, Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The laws applicable to Magdalen College include constitutional and statutory protections of the University’s rights as a religiously sponsored institution.