OA FALL 2024 MAGAZINE

When he was approached by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Alice Sherfick Shelton ’87 and Trustee Randy Adams, after President Dottie L. King, Ph.D., announced her resignation and departure at the end of June 2023, Randolph did not want to be just a caretaker because he knew there was important work to do. He wanted to ensure that the College kept momentum during the Board of Trustees’ search to find a new president. Enrollment could not be neglected, and facility issues continued due to deferred maintenance on aged and historic buildings. President Randolph has been in higher education his entire professional life. He began his career in financial aid for Harrison College, then known as Indiana Business College. “It was intriguing and interesting to me. I fell in love with it immediately.” As he assisted students and families in navigating the cost of higher education, many of whom were first-generation students, he saw how impactful it was for them, which would continue through their lifetimes. Randolph also taught classes in accounting. “It was

President Randolph speaks to those attending the press conference after the announcement that he is the 17th President of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. SMWC Board of Trustees Chair, Alice Sherfick Shelton ’87, and Sisters of Providence General Superior, Dawn Tomaszewski, SP, ’74, with President Randolph.

rewarding to see the lightbulb turn on when the students got what I was teaching them,” he said. During his tenure at Harrison College, he had roles in the accounting office, was the director of education and worked with the registrar and faculty to improve and grow academic programs. He became assistant campus president, and ultimately, campus president of Terre Haute. Randolph worked at Harrison College for 17 years, and he was named Campus President of the Year in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he accepted the role of vice president for enrollment management at SMWC. He felt that he was called to do something different when coming to The

Woods. It was only his second day on the job, when King announced SMWC would become fully co-educational and accept men into the campus residential program. “I found out how deeply people care for The Woods. I kept reminding President King that there is value in people caring that much and having a voice.” In 2015, the Tribune-Star and the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce honored him as a 12 Under 40 award recipient in the Wabash Valley. Since 2015, the College has added numerous new academic programs, including nursing, kinesiology and exercise science, the Ph.D. in Global Leadership and paramedic science to BSN. He also oversaw athletics and was instrumental in adding several athletic scholarship

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