President, Education ​/ Teaching

The Board of Trustees of Texas College invites applications and nominations for an accomplished, mission-driven, and visionary leader to serve as the 24th President of Texas College. This search follows the announced retirement of Dr. Dwight J. Fennell, whose 17-year tenure provided steady leadership, institutional continuity, and faithful stewardship. As Texas College prepares for this pivotal transition, the Board seeks a President who will honor the College’s historic mission and Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) heritage while partnering closely with the Board to guide the institution into its next phase of growth, sustainability, and academic distinction.

Founded in 1894 in Tyler, Texas, Texas College is a historically Black, faith-based liberal arts institution with deep roots in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. As the oldest institution of higher learning in Tyler, Texas College has long served as a critical educational anchor for North Tyler, the East Texas region, and generations of first‑generation, under‑represented, and nontraditional students.

The College now seeks its next President at a defining moment. This leadership transition presents an extraordinary opportunity for a bold, student‑centered, faith‑grounded executive to steward Texas College into its next era of relevance, stability, and distinction. The next President will be called up onto honor the institution’s historic mission while leading a comprehensive transformation focused on enrollment growth, financial resilience, academic modernization, community engagement, and institutional visibility.

Informed by extensive input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and community leaders, Texas College seeks a President who is both a change agent and a consensus builder—an individual who understands the urgency of the moment and the promise of the institution.

Texas College is a private, historically Black, faith-based liberal arts institution committed to delivering accessible, high‑quality undergraduate education grounded in academic excellence, critical inquiry, and ethical leadership. Academic programs at Texas College are designed to prepare students for meaningful careers, graduate and professional study, and lifelong leadership and service.

Texas College is recognized for:

• Deep alumni pride and loyalty;
• Dedicated faculty and staff committed to student success;
• A largely first‑generation, mission‑driven student population;
• A rich Christian heritage and commitment to faith‑informed leadership;
• A strategic location in one of East Texas’s fastest‑growing regions.

At the same time, the institution faces challenges common to many private HBCUs, including infrastructure modernization, enrollment stabilization, expanded fundraising capacity, technology upgrades, and the need to strengthen academic offerings aligned with workforce demand.

The next President will inherit both a responsibility and an opportunity: to translate community trust, institutional pride, and historical significance into a sustainable, student‑ready, and future‑facing college.

Academic Affairs oversees the instructional mission of the College and is organized across distinct academic divisions that collectively support a comprehensive liberal arts foundation while responding to regional workforce needs and student aspirations. Texas College offers associate and baccalaureate degree programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, social sciences, and related professional fields, with select programs available through online and distance education modalities.

Accreditation compliance, assessment of student learning outcomes, and continuous improvement are central priorities within Academic Affairs.

Community and campus feedback underscore both pride in the dedication of faculty and a clear call for academic innovation and modernization. Stakeholders have emphasized the importance of curriculum renewal, expansion of high‑demand and STEM‑adjacent programs, enhanced instructional technology, and growth in online and hybrid offerings to better serve traditional, nontraditional, and…