Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:
On June 1, 2018, I had the honor of beginning my tenure as the 18th President of Carroll College. Today, I am announcing my decision to retire from this wonderful position in one year, on June 30, 2025.
Beginning on July 1, 2024, I entered my 40th year in higher education. It has been a truly fulfilling journey, from my time as a faculty member and dean at Rocky Mountain College, Dean and CEO of the MSU Billings College of Technology (now City College), Deputy Commissioner of the Montana University System, and now President of Carroll College. The common denominator throughout all of these positions has been my work in supporting students and helping them to achieve their dreams and goals. I cannot envision a more rewarding and meaningful profession than serving in higher education.
For me, the pinnacle of my career has been the past six years here at Carroll College, where I have had the privilege of serving as Carroll’s 18th President. I admire what Carroll has been able to accomplish over the past 115 years through the focus on its motto, “Not for school but for life.” I am extremely grateful to Carroll’s Board of Trustees and to Bishop Austin Vetter, Chancellor of the College, for their unwavering commitment to our mission as a Catholic diocesan institution. Their dedication ensures that Carroll continues to prepare new Saints to make a positive impact on our world. I am profoundly appreciative and inspired by the tireless efforts of our faculty and staff, who consistently devote themselves to serving our students every day.
I am especially grateful to my Executive Leadership Team for their dedication and efforts in leading Carroll and serving our students. It has been both a pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to lead this team, and I look forward to another year of working together. We have achieved a great deal and will continue to accomplish much over the next eleven months.
As I reflect back on the last six years, I am proud of what we have collectively accomplished, including:
Establishing Carroll’s Health Professions Initiative: 1.) Launching a very successful Master of Social Work Program, which has achieved national accreditation and is set to enroll its largest class to date. Special thanks and recognition to Dr. James Petrovich, who led us to an astounding first-time accreditation approval with no recommendations for change; 2.) Creating an Accelerated Nursing Program, which has begun its third cohort; 3.) Designing and renovating the E. L. Wiegand Nursing Simulation Center, which is Montana’s most state-of-the-art nursing facility; and, 4.) Planning for the 2026 launch of a new Physician Assistant Program.
Instituting Several New Academic Programs: 1.) Carroll’s Catholic Studies BA and minor represent the only Catholic Studies program in the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest; 2.) BA and minor in Data Science; 3.) Certified Financial Planner Certificate; and, 4.) The recently approved minors in Spanish for Health Professions and Music.
Developing Key Academic Partnerships: 1.) New 3+3 partnerships with Gonzaga University and the University of Montana law schools; 2.) Internship with the Keck Observatory (only undergraduate institution in the world to have this partnership); and, 3.) One of 41 colleges and universities across the globe to partner with Exeter College’s Summer Study Programme at the University of Oxford in the UK.
Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Jenn Glowienka is to be commended for the extensive planning and work which underpin all the above academic advancements.
Launching “Montana’s #1 College” Campaign: Carroll is proud of the fact that we have improved our four-year graduation rate to its highest rate in 40 years (65%). We have also sent 161 students to medical school in the past ten years, (an 80+% acceptance rate), maintained a five-year 97.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate among our nursing students, and, of course, the Talking Saints speech and debate team has continued its 34-year streak of dominance in our Northwest Region. For non-healthcare graduate program applicants, we continue to maintain an impressive 100% acceptance rate. We have the highest freshman to sophomore retention in Montana and were rated by U.S. News and World Report as #1 for Best Value in the western region. In addition, a recent report by Georgetown University ranked Carroll graduates as having the highest lifetime earnings of any college graduates in Montana.
For all of the above accomplishments, it is impossible to overstate the tremendous impact of our faculty, who teach, mentor, and guide our wonderful community of students. Our annual Student Research Festival, one of my favorite events of the year, showcases the exceptional faculty mentorship happening at Carroll and highlights what makes our educational experience truly unique. The instruction, student and faculty research, and scholarship at Carroll are exemplary, and our faculty are stellar.
Continuing a Flourishing Campus Ministry Program: Carroll welcomed 19 Saints into the Catholic Church at the Mass of the Sacraments this past Easter, and its weekly Mass attendance is vibrant, engaged, and the envy of many other Catholic colleges and universities. Many thanks to Fr. Frohlich and to the Campus Ministry staff for ensuring a welcoming environment and continuing the faithful work of Fr. Lenneman in building not only the Chapel but the strong community that fills it.
Implementing a Campus-wide Compensation Study: As one of the key pillars of our newly approved Strategic Plan, “Support our People,” I am proud of the compensation study which was completed, endorsed by the campus community, and approved by the Board. We are now moving into our second year of implementation, which was included in the budget approved by the Board. HR Director Karla Weltz has done outstanding work in the leadership and implementation of these important initiatives.
Receiving Approval of the Campus Master Plan and Completing Significant Campus Infrastructure Improvements: 1.) Fundraising, design, and construction of the Simperman Learning Commons transforming the Corette Library at Carroll College into one of the most attractive academic libraries in the Northwest; 2.) Fundraising, design, and construction of the Perkins Call Canine Center; 3.) Renovation of the Campus Center and St. Thomas Aquinas Dining Facility; 4.) Property acquisition and landscape enhancement of Founder’s Corner; 4.) Renovation of the PE Center common area and Loendorf Event Room; 5.) The upcoming completion of the Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium; and, 6.) The final planning for the Biskupiak Facilities Building in honor of longtime Facilities Director, Butch Biskupiak.
Vice President of Finance Lori Peterson, Facilities Director Dan Byrd, and Athletic Director Charlie Gross and their teams have put in countless hours to bring these improvements to completion.
Initiating the Student Global Refugee Initiative: Thanks to the founding support of Ray and Susie Kuntz, the Gianforte Family Foundation, and other generous donors, Carroll has established a very successful student global refugee initiative currently supporting students from Ethiopia, Ukraine, and Mexico. This initiative was recently acknowledged by Pope Francis during my trip to the Vatican in June as an example of what Catholic colleges and universities around the world should be doing to underscore their social justice mission.
Expanding Athletics and the Frontier Conference: 1.) Since 2018, Carroll has added five new JV programs (Men’s and Women’s Basketball; Men’s and Women’s Soccer; and Women’s Volleyball); and two new sports including Competitive Dance and Competitive Cheer; 2.) During my three years as Chair of the Frontier Conference, the conference added five new full time members and two new football members, making it one of the most competitive athletic conferences in the entire NAIA. Athletic Director Charlie Gross has built a robust and diverse sports program that appeals to scholar-athletes from across the nation and around the world.
Strengthening Community Involvement: I am grateful for the tremendous support Carroll receives from the Helena community, local businesses, healthcare providers, and state and federal agencies. It's been wonderful to see more community leaders actively engaging with our college. I take pride in our diverse and impactful student volunteering efforts such as Carroll’s Special Olympics Club, the expansion of our host family programs through GSRI, the enriching internships we offer, and the spirited community engagement at our campus athletic events. Events like the recent 18,000-person Symphony Under the Stars, sponsored by the Helena Symphony, Intrepid Credit Union, and Carroll, highlight our vibrant community spirit. I also appreciate the many business and community sponsorships we’ve received, including the new Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.
I am also proud of the work that we all did together to navigate the Covid-19 global pandemic. Carroll College continued to operate in-person throughout the pandemic, with the exception of the last third of the 2020 spring semester, when the entire nation went into lockdown. Our faculty and staff stepped up in some incredibly innovative ways. I’d like to particularly recognize the flexibility and talent of our staff throughout the campus, who kept things running not only through the pandemic, but beyond, to ensure a safe and supportive environment for the campus community. I am also grateful for the amazing support our staff provide to our students daily, encompassing residential life, outdoor recreation, student life, academic support, IT support, food service, facilities, the business office, the registrar, and marketing and communications.
Over the past six-plus years, we have also rolled up our sleeves as a college community to tackle challenges related to growing enrollment during a national decline in the number of high school graduates. Additionally, we have focused on improving our net tuition revenue and overall budgets. This past year, we were Montana’s leader in managing the FAFSA roll-out challenges which emanated from the U.S. Department of Education. This work has required difficult decisions and sacrifices, but we have done it together. Vice President of Student Engagement Kathleen O’Leary, Financial Aid Director Janet Riis, and the Student Engagement staff deserve our community’s heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
On a lighter note, we have made nice strides in inviting the Helena community to enjoy and appreciate our campus through initiatives like the “Spirit of Christmas” weeks, which were beautifully coordinated by Stacey Whited, Lori Peterson, and Dan Byrd.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to Bishop Vetter, Monsignor O’Neill, and Father Beretta who have served as my direct supervisors over the past six-plus years. In addition, I am grateful to the entire Board of Trustees for their tireless dedication and support for the college.
The efforts of our Board, faculty and staff have allowed us to achieve clean annual audits, positive accreditation for all new and continuing programs, and a balanced budget each year over the past seven years. This success is largely due to the leadership and stewardship of our resources by Finance VP Lori Peterson.
I look forward to working with all of you – Board, faculty, staff, and students – over this next year to continue our community efforts to strengthen and grow the college. I am proud to hand off this excellent institution to its next president in July of 2025 with these strengths to build on. My hope is that, together with Vice President for Advancement Keith Stout, we can continue this fiscal year’s successful fundraising efforts to provide a solid foundation for growth. Carroll’s alumni and generous donors have underwritten numerous improvements and opportunities for our students. I can think of no cause more noble than the work we are all doing to positively impact the lives of our students, our community, and beyond.
June 30, 2025, will be a happy day as I reflect back on the incredible work we have done together. Each of us play an important role in the life cycle of Carroll College. We bring our talents and strengths which make the college better. Serving as your 18th President has been an immensely rewarding experience. After 40 years in higher education, 24 years in executive leadership, and seven years as President of Carroll College, it is time to move on after the completion of this fiscal year. I believe I have given my best and it will be time for a new president to step in and take the college to yet another level as it moves beyond its 115th year. I believe Carroll is strong due to the amazing people who work here and are so dedicated to our students.
I would like to end by saying how grateful I am for our students and all that they do to make Carroll such a special place. Victoria and I look forward to the upcoming year filled with attending athletic games, Talking Saints debates, plays, performances, student research presentations, worshiping together at Mass, working out in the Hunthausen Athletic Center, and countless other opportunities watching our students shine. Whenever I need to refresh my spirit, I simply walk around campus, talk with students, or share a meal with them, and I feel renewed once again!
Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t express my heartfelt thanks to my wife, Victoria. Her unwavering support and dedication as the First Lady of Carroll have been the cornerstone of our journey, enriching our community and making my tenure truly meaningful.
I will always consider myself a Saint regardless of what I do or any organization I am involved with in the future. Thank you again for the honor of serving as your President.
Go Saints!
John
