Brennan J. Randolph, MBA, has been named the 17th president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC). The College’s Board of Trustees unanimously announced his appointment and five-year contract effective today, Friday, August 9, 2024.
Alice Sherfick Shelton, chair of the SMWC Board of Trustees and 1987 graduate, said, “Providence provides. I have been grateful to witness this deep truth over the past 13 months as Brennan has served The Woods in an interim role. The Board of Trustees and the College community have seen close-up the strong leadership and care Brennan has brought to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. I am proud to share with our many constituents that Brennan has enthusiastically accepted the role of the 17th president of the College.”
Shelton added, “Higher education in 2024 requires leaders who have qualities of humility, service, creativity, courage and decisiveness. Brennan’s steady manner of walking forward has been a strong support in this year of change and transition. It has been a delight to serve alongside Brennan. His commitment to today’s Woods students and the future of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is clear and palpable.”
Sister Dawn Tomaszewski, a 1974 graduate of The Woods, the general superior of the Sisters of Providence and a Board of Trustee member, expressed her support for Randolph, saying, “As the founders and sponsors of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the Sisters of Providence offer their wholehearted support to Brennan Randolph as the 17th president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. During President Randolph’s tenure as a vice president and overseer of Enrollment Management, the College has enjoyed the largest campus enrollments in the history of the institution. However, I believe that Brennan’s greatest gift is his deep passion for the mission of this small, Catholic college. He seems to love it and care for it with the same commitment with which he tends to the Randolph family farm that has been in Terre Haute for more than 80 years.”
Randolph has been the interim president since July 1, 2023, after Dottie L. King, Ph.D., announced her resignation to become the president and CEO of Independent Colleges of Indiana.
“I am humbled and grateful to be chosen to lead this historic institution. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s mission holds true to this day, and I remain focused on it, just as we have for the past 184 years,” Randolph said. “I am happy to be a part of a faculty and staff that arrive at work each day focused on a rich student experience, both academically and culturally. Our future is bright, and the College will continue to innovate while honoring our traditions.”
Randolph arrived at SMWC in 2015 as the vice president for enrollment management. He has overseen the enrollment growth for the campus program to historical levels, migration to a more effective CRM system in admissions and a more streamlined admission and financial aid process. Additionally, he oversaw the athletic department as the College’s teams grew from seven scholarship teams to 18. During that time, SMWC Athletics moved to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and became part of the River States Conference (RSC).
Randolph has 26 years of experience in higher education leadership. Prior to arriving at The Woods, Randolph was campus president of Harrison College, and his 17-year tenure at Harrison College included managing all aspects of the college as campus president, assistant executive director, director of education, accounting supervisor and financial aid analyst. He also served as adjunct faculty instructing various accounting and business courses in both residential and online formats. His successes included campus operations, enrollment flow, retention efforts and program growth. Harrison College awarded him Campus President of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
Randolph and his wife, Beth, have two children, a son Caleb and a daughter Madison, who is a 2024 graduate of SMWC in nursing. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. He is a member of Terre Haute Downtown Rotary, a board member of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce and Rural Health Innovation Collaborative, a past board member of the United Way of the Wabash Valley and serves on the supervisory committee for Vigo County Federal Credit Union.
“I have worked in higher education my entire professional career. It is rewarding to be part of such an important experience for students, particularly when they cross that stage and begin the next phase of their life journey. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a special place, and I look forward to what we can accomplish in the future to continue to make it special,” Randolph said.