Babson College President Kerry Healey will step down as president in June 2019 at the end of her second term. Healey has served as the College’s 13th president, and its first female President, since 2013.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank Kerry for her extraordinary service to Babson College,” stated Chair of the Babson College Board of Trustees Marla Capozzi. “At a time of great disruption in higher education, Kerry has strengthened and expanded Babson’s programs, increased access and affordability for students, and elevated the College’s profile globally. Kerry led Babson to its 25th consecutive No. 1 ranking in entrepreneurship while adding recognitions such as the No. 1 school for international students and the No. 1 private business school for return-on-investment.”
“The Board shares Kerry’s view that the College’s Centennial is an optimal time to transition the presidency,” continued Capozzi. “Thanks to Kerry’s strong leadership, Babson is prepared and well-positioned to realize a bold, global vision in its second century. We are pleased she will remain in her role to mark Babson’s first 100 years of leadership in entrepreneurship education.”
“It has been a privilege to work daily with inspiring, young entrepreneurs and the dedicated faculty and staff at Babson,” said President Healey. “Over the last five years, together we have generated historic results and positive momentum for the College. From enrolling our most well-qualified undergraduates ever and transforming our campus environment, to achieving record-breaking fundraising and bringing Babson to the world through online education and new satellite locations, I am exceedingly proud of our record of accomplishments and the impact Babson is making on campus and across the globe.
I am incredibly grateful to the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve as Babson’s 13th president and deeply appreciative to our dedicated community of faculty members, staff, alumni, students and parents who helped make our achievements possible,” continued Healey. “In the coming year, I look forward to continuing the important work of preparing the College for its second century and ensuring a smooth transition.”
The Board of Trustees will begin planning for the presidential transition and organizing the search for the College’s next president this summer.
Under Healey’s leadership, notable achievements over the last five years include:
Increased National and Global Profile and Impact
Maintained the College’s preeminence in entrepreneurship education, including the No. 1 rank in entrepreneurship for the 25th consecutive time (US News & World Report) while adding No. 1 for international students (Forbes) and No. 1 private business school for ROI (PayScale)
Helped found the first mixed-gender college in Saudi Arabia: the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC)
Launched the Babson Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education, a membership organization to support the development of entrepreneurship programs in colleges and universities globally
Opened and/or expanded satellite locations (“hubs”) in Boston and Miami to increase access to Babson’s top-ranked Blended Learning MBA, Executive Education programs, and the award-winning Babson Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab®, a venture accelerator exclusively for women
Innovation in Access and Affordability
Increased the College’s commitment to financial aid by meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need for incoming undergraduate students for the first time, devoting more than $43 million annually to student aid and maintaining a discount rate between 30-33 percent
Established the College’s first-ever Global Scholars program, generating more than $20 million in new scholarships and enrolling entrepreneurial leaders from 25 countries
Introduced Babson’s first-ever accelerated degree pathway to reduce undergraduate tuition by up to 25 percent and create an overall financial benefit of $105,931 to students
Launched Babson’s presence on the edX online platform, reaching more than 100,000 learners in 200 countries in the first year
Strengthened and Expanded Programs, Campus
Expanded undergraduate enrollment while improving selectivity from 28 percent to a historic low of 24 percent and raising SAT and ACT scores to highest levels ever (ACT from 27 to 30; SAT to 1,361)
Relaunched Babson’s Institute for Family Entrepreneurship
Increased Babson’s commitment to the arts by bringing Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in residence at the Sorensen Center for the Arts
Undertook $160 million in capital improvements, including the renovation and expansion of the Park Manor Quad and the development of the Weissman Foundry, the Babson Recreation and Athletics Center, Babson Commons at Horn Library, and Centennial Park
Record-breaking Fundraising and Financial Strength
Generated record-setting philanthropic investment in the College, including the largest single fundraising year in the history of the College in which nearly $65 million has been raised to date (FY’18)
Doubled the alumni giving rate, increasing it from 13 percent to 26 percent in five years
Increased international donor giving rate by 500 percent
Established three new endowed professorships in Family Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, and Global Health
Obtained historic bond rating upgrades (Moody’s A3 to A2; Standard and Poor’s A- to A)