October 7, 2009

To the College of Saint Benedict community and friends:

On September 14, College of Saint Benedict president MaryAnn Baenninger announced her plans to leave the college next June.  MaryAnn has been an outstanding leader, moving CSB forward and positioning the college among the top liberal arts institutions in the country.  During her six-year tenure as president, the college:

• successfully completed an $82.7 million capital campaign, the largest in its history;
• significantly raised the national reputation of its stellar academic and undergraduate experience;
• implemented a dynamic strategic plan;
• completed a major expansion of the Benedicta Arts Center, built a state-of-the art dining and conference center, and developed a bold campus master plan to support education for future generations of students;
• completed a successful accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;
• was granted a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, a significant achievement recognizing excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

We deeply appreciate MaryAnn’s dedicated and dynamic service to the college.  She taught us to see CSB as a bigger, bolder experience. Thanks to her vision and energy, the College of Saint Benedict is in an excellent position to continue its forward momentum.  The Board of Trustees is firmly committed to the college’s aspiration to position itself among the finest liberal arts colleges in the country.

The Board of Trustees will lead a national search for a new president, whom we expect to have in place by July 1, 2010. Toward that end, we have named a 15-member search committee charged with recommending candidates to the Board for consideration. With the assistance of a search consultant, Academic Search, Inc., the committee will organize and conduct the search process.  We expect the search committee will present its recommendations to the Board of Trustees in April 2010.

The following individuals were named to the committee:  Kathleen Cooney, trustee, search committee co-chair; Beth Dinndorf, trustee, search committee co-chair; Barb Melsen, trustee; Thomas Schlough, trustee; Harvey Jewett, trustee; Ann Huntrods, SJU regent; Dr. David Arnott, faculty; Mary Jepperson, faculty; Dr. Mani Campos, faculty; S. Jean Juenemann, OSB, Saint Benedict’s Monastery; S. Kara Hennes, OSB, Saint Benedict’s Monastery; Dr. Rita Knuesel, CSB Cabinet; Sue Palmer, CSB Cabinet; Tonya Dolezal, CSB alumna; Kathryn Hauff, CSB student trustee.

We are grateful for the leadership, vision and direction MaryAnn has provided to CSB since 2004. The strength of the institution is at a high level and we look forward to soaring to new heights with the next president.

Kathleen Cooney
Chair, College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees