Note: This page is no longer being maintained on the PhairAdvantage website. For a current list of private college presidential searches and appointments, go to www.privatesey.com. 3/5/19 - MacMurray College (IL) Interim MacMurray President Dr. Mark Tierno to retire, Dr. Beverly Rodgers named interim president 3/3/19 - Morris Brown University (GA) Interim Troubled Morris Brown College hires former 100 Black Men CEO Kevin James as interim president 3/2/19 - Wilkes University (PA) Interim New acting president at Wilkes 2/26/19 - Clarke University (IA) Thom D. Chesney Named 16th President of Clarke University 2/18/19 - Goldey Beacom College (DE) Keith named 14th president of Goldey-Beacom College 2/18/19 - Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (TX) Greenway nominated to lead Southwestern Seminary 2/14/19 - Pepperdine University (CA) James A. Gash Named Eighth President and CEO of Pepperdine University 2/13/19 - Earlham College (IN) Earlham College Chooses First … [Read more...]
Most Recent Presidential Appointments at Private Colleges & Universities
Want to Lead a Private College? Many Are Looking for a President
Full list of current presidential searches News stories related to presidential searches | Recent presidential appointments As 2018 draws to a close, the job market is hot – and that’s not just for your average worker. The same applies to college presidencies, especially in private nonprofit higher education. As of December 2018, we had identified 42 presidential searches underway, and apparently not yet in their final stages. The institutions range from household names like the University of Southern California to smaller, more specialized places like Lancaster (Pa.) Bible College. Where the Openings Are The current openings encompass most types of private colleges and universities, but almost three-quarters (30) are at baccalaureate and master’s institutions by Carnegie classification. The others are split between six doctoral universities and four special-focus four-year institutions. The one remaining outlier is Morris Brown College in Georgia, which is … [Read more...]
Southwest Airlines’ Crisis Communications: Overall, a Good Job
When an engine broke apart killing a passenger April 17, Southwest faced the nightmare of all airlines. Commenting for The Wall Street Journal's "Risk & Compliance Journal," Judy Phair observes that Southwest had years of customer good will in the bank, and that caring approach helped with public acceptance of its statements and explanations. … [Read more...]
New Edition: Legacies from Legends in PR
I'm honored and delighted to be included in the newly-released second edition of Legacies from Legends in Public Relations, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). In it, more than 40 senior public relations professionals share their insights and experiences as a guide for students entering the field. A free download of the entire book is available on the website of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Judy Phair … [Read more...]
Judy Phair Looks at PricewaterhouseCooper’s Handling of Ban in India
PricewaterhouseCoopers has been banned from auditing listed companies in India for two years because of its failure to detect a billion-dollar fraud at a company there. In The Wall Street Journal's "Risk and Compliance Journal," Phair notes that in addressing the crisis, "PwC’s current actions neither fit nor advance its global or Indian reputation." … [Read more...]
In WSJ Crisis of the Week, Judy Phair Looks at NBC News Handling of Matt Lauer Firing
In a sexual harassment incident resulting in the firing of the Today show host, NBC News stepped off smartly in handling fallout from the story, but then seemed to lose its footing in subsequent statements and actions, Judy Phair says. Her comments appear in the Wall Street Journal's "Risk and Compliance Journal." … [Read more...]
Judy Phair Comments on Implications of Use of Snapchat in Admissions
In a recent Associated Press story, PhairAdvantage president Judy Phair commented on the growing use of Snapchat in admissions communications, as exemplified by the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. "Potential students used to look at costly printed materials while researching schools," she notes, but "now students don't start looking at those type of materials until they have a university in their sights. I'm seeing more and more admissions offices, people in universities, public relations as well, looking for ways to use Snapchat because it is so popular," … [Read more...]
Aircraft Execs’ Pay Raises Bomb After Firm’s Government. Support
After getting millions in Canadian government support, Montreal-based Bombardier's board lavished big pay raises on its leadership. What followed was predictable. In the Wall Street Journal's Risk & Compliance Journal, Judy Phair says it's time for Bombardier to "push the reset button and gain control of the conversation." … [Read more...]
In WSJ Crisis of the Week, Poor Communications Earns Juno an “Incomplete”
In tests of its leukemia-fighting drug, Juno Therapeutics, Inc., botched the handling of patient deaths -- and even how many, Judy Phair observes. Incomplete information, dribbled out as the crisis unfolded, put the firm on the defense. It's in The Wall Street Journal's Risk & Compliance Journal. … [Read more...]
Judy Phair Looks at Drug Manufacturer’s Handling of Drug Test Gone Awry
When one person died and four others were seriously harmed in a French drug test, Portugal-based drug maker Bial initially adopted the distancing tool known to all good writers: the passive voice. In a new Wall Street Journal "Risk and Compliance" post, she comments on what Bial did, didn't, and should be doing. … [Read more...]
