Cornell College president to leave; successor search begins

MOUNT VERNON — After 16 years leading Cornell College and its innovative one-course-at-a-time model, President Jonathan Brand on Monday morning announced he’ll be leaving after his contract ends in June 2027.

Brand’s departure prompted the Cornell College Board of Trustees at the same time to announce a national search for his successor — with hopes of having the college’s 16th president ready to start when Brand’s term is done.

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“As a community passionate about our college, and resting on our liberal arts foundation, we are ready to step forward together, guided by the values that have long defined Cornell: curiosity, creativity, resilience, and an uncommon commitment to student success,” Cornell Board of Trustees Chair Jan Thomas said. “Our collective achievements position us strongly for the next chapter, and we look ahead with confidence as we prepare to welcome new leadership.”

Since joining Cornell as its 15th president in April 2011, Brand has overseen two successful reaccreditation cycles and raised more than $200 million for academic initiatives, facilities, and other enrichment.

He’s helped launch several of Cornell’s signature efforts — creating a literary arts center and summer research institute — and oversaw the construction or renovation of eight campus buildings and three athletic fields.

Brand also over the years also continued teaching — instructing 125 students in his politics class across seven teaching blocks.

And he navigated a sea of higher education headwinds and hurdles — including COVID, the derecho, and now an enrollment cliff, in part by helping to grow Cornell’s endowment toward an ambitious $200 million-plus goal.

“The work we have completed together — strengthening our innovative academic program, building our endowment, reducing our debt to impressively low levels, and evolving our campus offerings to meet the needs of this generation’s students — will persist as we continue to embrace change as a forward‑thinking institution,” Thomas said.

The board is starting the process of forming the search committee and choosing a search firm, finding ways to gather community input, and drafting a search timeline — all with the goal of having a new Cornell president chosen by the end of the fall 2026 semester.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com