Carol Leary to Chair Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities Board

LONGMEADOW — At its 2019 annual meeting in Atlanta, the Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced that Carol Leary, president of Bay Path University, was appointed chair of the board.

Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College, will continue to serve on AAC&U’s board as past chair. The members also voted to appoint William Craft, president of Concordia College, as vice chair of the board. Royce Engstrom, professor of Chemistry at the University of Montana, will continue his term as treasurer.

Two new directors were also appointed to AAC&U’s board: Timothy Eatman, inaugural dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community and associate professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University Newark; and Mary Ann Villareal, assistant vice president, Strategic Initiatives at California State University Fullerton.

“It is a privilege to welcome our new board members as we work together in support of AAC&U and our president, Lynn Pasquerella,” Leary said. “The mission and goals of AAC&U, and our commitment to equity, inclusivity, and innovation, are more critical than ever as higher education grapples with the seismic shifts presented by the 21st century.”

Added Pasquerella, “it is an honor and a privilege to work with such an extraordinary group of higher-education leaders. I look forward to learning from the insights and expertise of AAC&U’s new board members as we seek to achieve our shared objective of advancing liberal education and equity as the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy.”