President

President

Hendrix College invites nominations and applications for its 13th president and the successor to President Ellis Arnold, who is retiring in June 2023 after a remarkable tenure. Hendrix seeks an inspiring and strategic leader who will wholeheartedly embrace the College’s motto – to educate “unto the whole person” – through its foundation as a distinctive private, residential liberal arts college. The next President will have the opportunity to foster a shared strategic vision for the future of Hendrix, expand the College’s resource base and enhance fundraising efforts, continue to strengthen enrollment management initiatives, be a visible and engaged member of the Hendrix and Conway communities, and further conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The next President will be the chief advocate for the College and an accomplished relationship builder internally and externally who will support growth at Hendrix and enhance its visibility locally, regionally, and nationally.

Hendrix College is located in Conway, Arkansas, approximately 30 miles from the capital city of Little Rock. As one of the designated “Colleges That Change Lives,” and one of the “Most Innovative National Liberal Arts Colleges” (U.S. News & World Report), Hendrix is distinguished among liberal arts colleges by a history of innovation, a longstanding commitment to engaged learning, and a deeply inclusive sense of community. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Hendrix has a long tradition of creative programming, including the Hendrix Odyssey Program, the first-of-its-kind engaged learning program, and the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language. Hendrix is recognized annually for academic excellence, career preparation, innovation, and value. The community is known for the close connection between its students and their faculty and staff mentors, as well as its unique balance of open progressive thought and unwavering commitment to its liberal arts heritage.   

Nearly 1,150 students make up the Hendrix student body. This year’s new student enrollment is the largest in seven years at Hendrix, with students from 23 states and multiple foreign countries. Hendrix students are intellectually curious, self-driven, and passionate about service learning and social justice. Hendrix has placed 31 Fulbright students, 37 Watson Fellow recipients, 34 Goldwater Scholarship winners, as well as Jack Kent Cooke Scholars, Marshall Scholars, Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows, Truman Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, and Udall Scholars. Sixty percent of the College’s graduates pursue post graduate degrees, and Hendrix ranks among the top for graduates who complete doctoral degrees, according to a National Science Foundation survey. Outside the classroom, the creativity and community-mindedness that characterize the students contributes to an unusually inclusive and vibrant student life.  Student-athletes account for roughly 40 percent of the Hendrix student body. Hendrix athletics competes in NCAA Division III and offers 21 teams plus esports.

Hendrix is an institution of quality and purpose and seeks an inspirational President undaunted by challenge and well-equipped to lead boldly, collaboratively, and thoughtfully with vision and integrity into a new era. The next President will lead an institution that, as its mission states, “cultivates empathy, creativity, self-understanding, rigorous inquiry, informed deliberation, and active learning across the liberal arts, toward the development of the whole person.” More details about Hendrix College and the agenda for leadership for the next President may be found at: https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/hendrix-president/

The Hendrix College Presidential Search Committee seeks candidates who will embrace the distinctive nature and core values of Hendrix and inspire its faculty, students, staff, alumni and Board of Trustees. Hendrix College’s next President must be a strategic and visionary thinker with a transparent and collaborative leadership style. The next President will be a servant leader with experience

managing a complex organization. The successful candidate will bring a highly relational approach, outstanding communication skills, authenticity, self-confidence balanced with humility, integrity of the highest order, and a strong work ethic. Candidates should display the ability to lead with wisdom, honesty, and compassion. While a clear understanding of higher education is expected, the Presidential Search Committee is eager to consider many different pathways to the Hendrix presidency. Candidates possessing a terminal degree will be preferred.

Nominations and applications should be submitted electronically as soon as possible. The Hendrix College Presidential Search Committee will begin to evaluate applications in October 2022. Although applications will be welcomed until the time that a new President is selected, candidates should submit materials by October 25, 2022, to ensure fullest consideration. The new President is expected to begin serving on July 1, 2023. Applications should include a letter of candidacy that responds to the agenda for leadership and the desired attributes for the President and a complete résumé or vita. All application materials will be considered in full confidence. Please send all nominations, inquiries, and applications, electronically to:

Julie E. Tea, Managing Director  

Lois Mufuka Martin, Managing Director
Julie Williams-Krishnan, Senior Associate

HendrixCollegePresident@storbecksearch.com

For more information, please visit Hendrix College’s home page at www.hendrix.edu.

Hendrix College strives to maintain an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where employees treat each other with respect, dignity and courtesy. The College adheres to the principle of equal educational and employment opportunity without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or national origin.