Marcia White to serve as Saint Rose president through June 2023

Marcia White, who was appointed as interim president of The College of Saint Rose in July 2020, has been unanimously appointed by the Saint Rose Board of Trustees as president of Saint Rose through June 2023.

“Marcia’s experience in organizational turnaround is key to our decision,” said Board of Trustee Chair Jeffrey D. Stone. “She understands the pragmatic realities of a major institutional transformation. She has managed the painful budgetary reductions that took place last year. And she is dedicated to being on the fundraising trail, efforts that are paying off with raising more than double the goal for the College’s recent centennial celebration. With her clear love of Saint Rose that stems back to her time as a student, deep connections throughout the Capital Region, and commitment to transformational partnership with faculty, the College is in good hands.”

White, a Saint Rose alum and member of the College’s board of trustees for 18 years before stepping into the role of interim president during the COVID-19 pandemic, has initiated a turnaround of the College, and created a culture of transparency, accessibility, and collaboration. In addition, she has formed partnerships with Capital Region college presidents, Albany elected officials, and local business leaders.

In academic year 2020-2021 – the 100th anniversary of Saint Rose – President White raised $5.7 million, presided over growth in graduate enrollment, and developed a multi-year financial plan which includes increasing net tuition revenue and fundraising revenue and reducing debt service.

Working with campaign chair and Saint Rose Trustee George R. Hearst III, publisher and CEO of the Albany Times Union, White is leading “To the Second Century: The Campaign for the College of Saint Rose,” a $50 million fundraising effort that will continue into 2025.

“I love Saint Rose, and that is why I felt called to serve the College at such an important time,” said White. “The last year has been challenging. We’ve had to adapt to a pandemic. We’ve had to make budget cuts that resulted in the loss of employees and programs. We are turning an important corner because we did the hard work. I can’t thank the College’s Trustees, students, alumni, and employees who make up such a vibrant community enough for their support of Saint Rose. I’m honored to serve the College.”

A national search for the presidency will begin in summer to early fall of 2022.

Just prior to Saint Rose, White was president of Marcia White Consulting, LLC. During the 1990s, while she served as press secretary to the majority in the New York State Senate, White, who began her career as a registered nurse, came to Saint Rose to finish her bachelor’s degree in public communications. After leaving the Senate majority role, she led the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) as president and executive director and is widely credited for having led a financial and artistic transformation that ensured SPAC’s continuation as a preeminent cultural institution and major economic driver in the Capital Region. This year, White was named to the Albany Business Review’s Power 50 List for her work at Saint Rose.

“I want to thank everyone who has embraced my approach of transformational partnership. The Representative Committee of the Faculty (Repcom) has been deeply engaged in difficult choices that were necessary for financial sustainability,” White said. “They understand the climate and challenges of higher education and the need to meet the needs of students and make them feel at home.”

White has appointed Dr. Margaret McLane, who has been serving on an interim basis as provost and vice president for academic affairs, to continue as provost and vice president of that division through June 2023. A national search for the role will also begin in summer to early fall of 2022.

“Margaret is a fellow alum, accomplished academic, and treasured member of the Saint Rose community,” White said. “She is a bridge-builder with expertise in accreditation and assessment in education who cares deeply about our students and about Saint Rose. I am glad to have her by my side as we lead the College into its next century.”

McLane, an alum of the graduate programs at Saint Rose, celebrated 30 years of employment at the College this year. An associate professor of special education, she still teaches courses at Saint Rose and has previously served as dean of the Thelma P. Lally School of Education. She has also held the roles of associate provost and institutional strategist.

“I’m really proud to have dedicated so much of my career to Saint Rose. I’ve been here for three decades and witnessed many changes, but what hasn’t changed is the College’s heart. I see that every day in our students, our faculty, and my fellow staff and administrators,” McLane said. “Saint Rose is more than just a college. It sees itself as part of the wider community, and we push our students to understand that and to know that they can use what they learn in the classroom later as professionals to positively influence and advocate for those around them. The College of Saint Rose definitely has a place in the future of the Capital District and the future of higher education, and I look forward to our second century.”

In April, McLane assumed oversight of the College’s enrollment management efforts in addition to her responsibilities in academic affairs, creating an important bridge between efforts to enroll new students and present a nurturing but challenging classroom experience for them after they arrive. The College’s Career Center and Academic Success Center will also now fall under her management portfolio.