(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Simpson College welcomes interim president to campus • Iowa Capital Dispatch [1]
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Date: 2025-07-15
INDIANOLA — Members of the Simpson College community gathered Tuesday to welcome their new interim president to a near-empty — for now — campus, where she and other leaders honored late President Jay Byers and vowed to build off the legacy he left, even amid challenges facing higher education.
Susan Stuebner was selected for the interim president position after a national search and will officially start July 28, according to a news release announcing her selection. Acting board of trustees chair Terry Lillis said Tuesday the search yielded several candidates, five of whom were interviewed then narrowed down to three for campus visits.
Stuebner said when she visited the Indianola campus, she could see herself belonging in both the campus and community.
“I could sense immediately that the people of Simpson are what make it so special,” Stuebner said. “As I learned about the opportunities and challenges the college faces, I also felt that my experience could help us as we partner together to make Simpson even stronger.”
Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire, where Stuebner most recently worked and served for eight years as president, is facing many of the same challenges as Simpson College, she said. Those include a looming demographic cliff, fewer high school students choosing college after graduation and “the erosion of the public’s view of the value of higher education.”
In terms of financial struggles many private colleges face, Stuebner said “we can’t cut our way out of issues.” At Colby-Sawyer College, Stuebner said she worked to find new revenue streams, using the college’s most popular major in nursing to pursue outside partnerships in health care and nursing-related fields.
“That’s not necessarily the right fit for Simpson, but the same model would apply,” she said.
Stuebner will also focus on fundraising during her year as interim president. People don’t always understand the direct impact to students a donation to a small, private university can have, she said, and part of her job will be helping potential donors know this and learn more about the college.
One aspect of Simpson’s culture Stuebner said she appreciates is the institution’s and board’s commitment to inclusion and belonging, as well as to civil discourse. The realm of higher education is one of the rare areas where civil discourse can take place, she said, and while the college community needs to be “thoughtful” about how it proceeds amid increased scrutiny on colleges and universities, she’s happy these values are still present and important on campus.
In the months since Byers was found dead in the president’s campus residence in April, acting president Terry Handley said things have been difficult for the “very tight-knit campus community,” but he and his colleagues are excited to see Stuebner come to campus. Lillis said during his remarks the board was looking for someone who recognized the grief and healing process the campus community is undergoing following Byers’s death but could also look forward into Simpson’s future and have the financial and personal skills to ensure it is bright.
“It’s early, but I have a really good feeling about Sue and her ability to connect with people,” Handley said. “I just find her to be very, very genuine, very personal, but also a solid decision maker.”
Whether Stuebner stays on as the college’s official president, rather than interim, is a decision both she and the board, in consultation with the campus community, will make together, Handley said. According to the new release announcing Stuebner’s selection as interim president, the college’s board of trustees will conduct a review of Stuebner’s work later in the year and discuss a potential “mutual interest” in keeping her in the position permanently.
If the possibility of her staying on as president becomes a real option, Stuebner said she’d love the opportunity.
“I think Simpson is poised to emerge from this external challenging landscape with a compelling mission, successful education models and a very bright future,” Stuebner said. “It is, again, the people of this place that are going to help us grow and survive.”
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