North Central College Board of Trustees Appoints Dr. Donna M. Carroll as Interim President

Experienced Higher Education Leader to Guide College as Search for Permanent President Begins

The Board of Trustees of North Central College announces the appointment of Dr. Donna M. Carroll as Interim President, effective August 1. The acclaimed academic leader, who recently completed a 27-year presidency of Dominican University in River Forest, will guide the College until a new permanent president is appointed.

“Dr. Carroll is a visionary leader and an experienced administrator who is uniquely qualified to serve as our Interim President. We are grateful that of all the places she could have shared her talents, she chose North Central College,” said Jim McDermet M’92, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Her past experiences parallel many of the changes we’ve implemented at North Central. We’re confident she will ensure we have a successful academic year for our students and seamlessly continue implementing our strategic plan and growth initiatives.”

Dr. Carroll retired from Dominican University in July 2021. During her tenure there, she substantially grew the university’s enrollment, doubled the number of full-time faculty, created new schools, launched academic programs, modernized the campus, and raised more than $165 million.

“I am delighted to join the North Central College community as Interim President,” said Dr. Carroll. “As an admiring colleague for many years, I have witnessed the College’s growth in academic complexity, reputation and athletic stature and I look forward to working collaboratively with trustees, colleagues, students and the Naperville community to continue that progress, and at the same time, prepare the campus to welcome its next long serving President.”

Dr. Carroll earned her Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology/Education and M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati after earning her B.A. in English from Wellesley College. Before serving as President of Dominican University, she served in various administrative capacities at Fordham University, Mount Vernon College, Fairleigh Dickenson University, and the University of Cincinnati.

The Board of Trustees implemented its transition plan when President Troy D. Hammond announced his resignation after leading the College for nearly 10 years. The Search Committee expects the board to appoint a permanent president before the start of the 2023-24 academic year.

“We’re continuing to build on North Central College’s legacy of transformative education and are positioning our institution, faculty, and students for success in the future,” said McDermet. “With our interim leadership in place, the Board looks forward to engaging with candidates for the permanent president and hearing their vision and plans to help North Central achieve even greater success in the decades to come.”

North Central College has been ranked among America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report for the 27th consecutive year. North Central ranked No. 19 out of 157 schools in the Best Regional Universities Midwest category. The College ranked No. 8 for Most Innovative Schools, which includes schools making “cutting edge” improvements on their campuses in the areas of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, and facilities.