As Paul LeBlanc prepares to step down as President of SNHU at the end of this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on his leadership and lifelong commitment for every learner to have equitable education opportunities.
After immigrating to the U.S. as a young child, President LeBlanc became the first in his extended family to attend college, and experienced firsthand the impact that having a degree can make on someone’s life trajectory. His life experience is a driving force behind his work – building higher education systems that meet learners where they are. At his final commencement, he reflected on how he’s always seen himself in SNHU’s graduates.
At SNHU, President LeBlanc has overseen the transformation and building of higher education programs that meet the needs of all learners – offering flexible options online and in person. In this role, he has conferred degrees to more than 216,000 learners – including 16,800 Spring 2024 graduates during his final SNHU commencement. Many of these graduates may not have completed their college degree without LeBlanc’s vision and commitment to serve the needs of learners from every background.
The growth of SNHU during President LeBlanc’s tenure can in large part be attributed to his drive to close the growing gap between traditional higher education structures and the lives of learners who need to access these systems. What is often considered the “traditional” college student who attends full-time fresh out of high school with financial support of their family, is increasingly becoming the exception when looking at the population of those currently seeking higher education. More often, today’s college students are working, parenting, financially independent and attending college part-time to balance all their responsibilities while pursuing a degree in a system that wasn’t built for them. Despite this shift in learners, higher education systems remain largely stuck in traditional models – in-person campuses with classes offered during a 9-5 workday schedule. This misalignment forces many students to either upend their lives to pursue higher education or choose to not pursue higher education at all. SNHU offers a third path – flexible education programs learners can fit around their own schedules.
In working to transform higher education, President LeBlanc has always looked beyond SNHU – a driving force behind CHEPP’s creation that you can learn more about in a blog he co-authored with our Executive Director Jamie Fasteau last year. With nearly 37 million working-aged adults across the country with some college credit and no credential who could greatly benefit from completing their college degree, breaking down the barriers of traditional higher education has never been more important. Driven by President LeBlanc’s work and mission, CHEPP is committed to continuing to identify barriers that keep learners from succeeding in higher education and advocating for policy change to build more equitable systems to meet their needs.
While President LeBlanc is stepping down, we know this important work will not only continue, but it will also be driven by the same passion and commitment under the leadership of incoming SNHU President and current Provost Lisa Marsh Ryerson. As a fellow first-generation college graduate with vast experience as an educator, college president, and President of the AARP Foundation in D.C. for nearly 9 years, Ryerson believes that access to education and the attainment of a credential are major social determinants of health. Much like President LeBlanc, Ryerson cares deeply about the mission and success of SNHU and serves as a champion of higher education in our nation to close the gaps in degree attainment and increase equitable outcomes for all.
Thank you, President LeBlanc, for bringing an equity lens to higher education delivery – it has made all the difference.