Grant H. Cornwell named president of The College of Wooster

Grant H. Cornwell

WOOSTER, Ohio - The Board of Trustees of The College of Wooster has selected Grant H. Cornwell, vice president of the university and dean of academic affairs at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., to be Wooster's 11th president. He will assume office on July 1, 2007, following the retirement of President R. Stanton Hales.

"Grant Cornwell is a passionate believer in and advocate for the liberal arts,"said James R. Wilson, chairman of Wooster's board. "He brings a wealth of experience as both a faculty member and a senior administrator, an instinctive focus on students as the heart of the liberal arts enterprise, a deep commitment and record of achievement in the area of diversity, a clear understanding of the opportunities that lie before Wooster, and the energy and enthusiasm to help us seize them."

Cornwell's appointment is the culmination of a national search that began last spring, following Hales' announcement that he would retire in June 2007, capping 17 years of dedicated service to the college, including 12 as president. The search committee, composed of trustees, faculty, staff and student representatives, began by consulting extensively with members of the college community to identify Wooster's priorities and the preferred qualifications for the next president. The committee then winnowed scores of applicants down to three finalists, who were brought to campus last month to meet with a broad cross-section of students, faculty, alumni and staff.

At a special meeting of the board of trustees late last week, the presidential search committee recommended Cornwell's appointment and the board unanimously approved his election as Wooster’s next president.

"The candidate pool was strong and deep, and included senior administrators from some of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges," said Wooster trustee Solomon Oliver, Jr., who chaired the search committee. "That strength reflected very well on how highly Wooster is regarded in higher education. In Grant Cornwell, I believe we have found an exceptional individual who understands Wooster, appreciates our strengths, and is eager to help us build on those strengths to achieve still greater excellence in the years ahead."

"Like so many in higher education, I have always had a very high opinion of The College of Wooster," Cornwell said. "But as I have come to know the college better, my esteem has deepened. Institutions are nothing more or less than the sum total of the people who make them up, and I could not be more impressed with the people of Wooster."

"This is a place whose impact on students is truly transformative," Cornwell continued. "How could it be otherwise at a college that allows every student, not just a fortunate handful, to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a major creative and intellectual project called Independent Study? I am honored to have been chosen to be a steward of Wooster’s distinctive mission."

At St. Lawrence, Cornwell has had management responsibility for the university's 46 academic departments and interdisciplinary programs, the university libraries and gallery, intercollegiate athletics, and information technology. He also has played a key role in fund-raising for academic programs and facilities.

In five years as chief academic officer, Cornwell has worked to improve the diversity of the St. Lawrence faculty. During that time, more than 40 percent of new tenure-track hires have brought additional diversity to the faculty. Overall, the percentage of faculty from under-represented groups at St. Lawrence has more than doubled, from seven percent to 17 percent.

"There are few scholars who explain and advocate for the liberal arts as insightfully, compellingly, and passionately as Grant Cornwell," said St. Lawrence University President Daniel F. Sullivan. "We have been blessed to have him."

Cornwell joined the St. Lawrence faculty as an instructor in philosophy in 1986. Prior to his appointment as vice president and dean in 2002, he served as associate dean of the first year from 1992 to 1997, and chair of the philosophy department from 1998 to 2002.

Nationally recognized for his work in defining liberal learning in a global environment, Cornwell served on the national advisory board of Liberal Education and Global Citizenship: The Arts of Democracy, a three-year faculty and curriculum development initiative of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, from 2001 to 2004. He also served as a fellow of the National Learning Communities Project, a leadership group convened by the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, from 2000 to 2004. Currently, Cornwell serves on the advisory board for the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education and is a member of the SAGE Group, formed as a collective of national educational leaders by the Association of American Colleges and Universities to work with institutions to realign practices toward more intentional undergraduate education.

A philosopher by training, Cornwell's scholarship and teaching lie in the areas of human rights, globalization, and critical race theory. Cornwell is co-editor of two books: Global Multiculturalism: Comparative Perspectives on Ethnicity, Race, and Nation and Democratic Education in an Age of Difference: Redefining Citizenship in Higher Education. He has authored more than two dozen scholarly articles or chapters in edited volumes, as well as a CD-ROM on the history of slavery and the sugar industry in St. Kitts.

Cornwell holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and biology from St. Lawrence University and a master's degree and doctorate in philosophy, both from the University of Chicago.

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes independent learning. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty mentor to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.