About
Dr. John Cech is the President of Carroll College, a Catholic Diocesan Liberal Arts College in Montana, where he has served since June 2018. With a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, he brings over 30 years of experience in leading and expanding academic programs, improving student outcomes, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the higher education sector.
As the President of Carroll College, Dr. Cech has spearheaded the College's Healthcare Professions Initiative, which aims to address the healthcare needs of the region and beyond. Under his leadership, the College has launched its second graduate program, a Master of Social Work, an accelerated nursing program, a Healthcare Leadership Certificate, and a state-of-the-art nursing simulation center. Most recently, he announced the plan to establish a graduate-level physician assistant program, which will emphasize rural and underserved communities.
Additionally, during Dr. Cech’s time at Carroll, the College has completed a master facilities planning process and is in the final stages of preparation for a comprehensive campaign. The College has completed the design and construction of the Anthrozoology Canine Center; completed Phase I and is near completion of Phase II (Jan. 2024) of the reconstruction of the Corette Library to create the Simperman Learning Commons; renovated the Campus Center Dining Room; scheduled the installation of turf and lights in the College’s football and soccer stadium, and completed the renovation of the S.W. corner of the campus, removing run-down residences and creating an inviting access point for the community.
In 2021, Cech led the formation of a Global Student Refugee initiative, funded by an initial major donation and multiple additional contributions. This initiative focused on Ukrainian and Ethiopian students displaced from their universities through war and violence. Carroll currently has eight Ethiopian and four Ukrainian students enrolled.
Carroll is a member of the NAIA Frontier Athletic Conference; Dr. Cech currently serves as the Chairman of the Frontier Athletic Conference and serves on the Executive Committee of the national NAIA Council of Presidents. Dr. Cech has led the Conference efforts to expand full-time membership.
Dr. Cech is passionate about providing high-quality and accessible education in the sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, pre-med, nursing, health professions, anthrozoology, and the liberal arts, and enhancing the College's Catholic Social Justice mission.