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Quillen will complete eleven years of guiding historic and uplifting changes at the liberal arts college. The student body grew more diverse, socioeconomically and racially. The endowment topped $1 billion. Applications reached record numbers. The Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship opened, extending campus into downtown �ʼһ��� and forging partnerships in the local business community. And the physical campus gained new public art and the E. Craig Wall Jr. center’s progressive design that encourages work across the physical and social sciences.

Mauzé said that former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, a 1993 graduate of �ʼһ��� and former Charlotte mayor, will lead the search committee for the college’s next president.

During Quillen’s decade as president, �ʼһ��� stacked up top-tier status in undergraduate research and tied for second in the nation for the NCAA’s graduation success rate of athletes. The college moved into, and succeeded in, the more challenging Atlantic 10 athletic conference. Alums participated in supporting the college at a rate behind only a handful of household-name institutions – all under a president who was the first woman in that role and the first non-alum in more than half-a-century.

“Carol possesses the most valuable commodity in higher education today: courage,” said Margaret Spellings, who served as Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush. “She doesn’t hesitate to challenge the status quo that we know isn’t working, and she does it in a way that helps those in the debate to look at an issue differently rather than grow defensive.”

President Obama appointed her to his Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans, and, in 2019, Princeton University awarded her the James Madison Medal, which goes to an alum of the university’s graduate schools for their distinguished career and public service.

President Quillen's Message to the Community

I write today to share with you my decision that academic year 2021-22 will be my final year as president of �ʼһ���. 

Serving in this role and working with you all is an extraordinary gift. I’m grateful beyond words for the opportunities I have had over the past decade to share in your aspirations and accomplishments.

I love what I do and I love �ʼһ���—and at the same time there is a natural course to a presidency. When I was hired, the Chair of the Board asked me to imagine a 10-year time horizon (the president’s appointment at �ʼһ��� is renewed annually). That seemed right to me and I’ve been contemplating the timing of this decision to step down for the past few years.  2021-22 is my eleventh year. My head and heart tell me that this is the time.

�ʼһ��� has been a great college for a long time and it has been a privilege to build on that foundation. Thanks to each of you, much of what we set out to do together is well underway or completed. �ʼһ��� has new and renovated facilities, an even more beautiful campus, expanded, second-to-none curricular and co-curricular programs, Division I athletics done right, a robust endowment and an ever-stronger student applicant pool. The recent campaign far exceeded its goals. We’ve recruited singularly talented people to join us in every division. As a campus, we’re seeking to build a genuinely inclusive community of learning that honors the dignity of each person and that commits itself to an unfettered quest for truth. I’m humbled and proud to be a part of these efforts.

�ʼһ��� and this community have become home. After a sabbatical year in 2022-23, I plan to return to �ʼһ��� as a professor of history. I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with our amazing students alongside amazing colleagues, and to return to research and writing. Thank you for the joy of working with you.

Eleven years ago, I was introduced to �ʼһ��� through a 19-member search committee who could not have been more different one from another. What’s more, none of these individuals fit neatly into the stark categories that can sometimes shape our interactions. All were committed to �ʼһ���, all sought with rare humility to live up to the values we as a community strive to uphold.  Through them I saw �ʼһ��� as a place that could bring out who each of us is called to be. I recognize and am thankful to that group for the leap of faith they took in hiring me.

Serving as �ʼһ���’s president has been far and away the greatest gift of my professional life. We have an exciting year ahead, one that will be filled with unexpected opportunities and likely some distinct challenges. I look forward to working with all of you as we reconnect as a community in pursuit of our primary purpose and highest aspirations.

I thank you from my heart for all that you do for �ʼһ��� and for what each of you has given me.

In gratitude,

Carol