MCLA Presidential Search Stirs Plenty of Interest

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts hopes to have a new president by July 1 this year. 

 

The college's search firm WittKieffer has already received 14 completed applications with another 15 expressing interest, said Trustees President Buffy Lord, and had more than 80 responses in the five days since the posting went up. 

 

"The farthest application so far is from California, so obviously it has great interest," she said. "I think we have a lot to offer, not least of all because of where we are in Massachusetts."

 

The deadline for candidate materials is March 13, Lord said, and "we anticipate that we will work properly to narrow the candidate bill and remain on track to have finals on campus for interviews in early April."

 

The update came at the opening breakfast Tuesday for the spring semester, with President James Birge summing up his tenure as he prepares for retirement at the end of the semester.

 

"This is my 20th and final opening breakfast address," he said. "In my first address, in fall of 2016, I offered my thoughts on expanding the institution's commitment to DEI and I'm grateful that we've embraced that work to the degree that I would say, has grown to be a defining characteristic of MCLA."

 

That first breakfast saw the announcement of a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institution Grant to support student academic achievement.