Tom Chema said Thursday he will step down as president of the small, private Hiram College in June 2014.
Chema said in a media release that “there is a natural ebb and flow in any executive leadership position” and that he has accomplished what he set out to do.
During Chema’s 10 years as president, Hiram enrollment grew by about 85 percent, from 720 to 1,330 students. The college started popular programs in nursing and accounting and launched an innovative guarantee that froze tuition for incoming freshmen for four years.
“Tom did something that is unfortunately not as common as one would hope: turn around a college’s trajectory from negative to positive,” said C. Todd Jones, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio.
Chema, 66, is rare among Ohio college presidents because he does not hold a doctorate degree and comes from a background in government and law instead of higher education.
He was a Harvard-educated attorney, Hiram trustee and co-owner of the Gateway Consulting Group in Cleveland when he was named interim president in 2003 and president eight months later.
One of his first decisions as president was to reverse a 1973 policy that sought to make Hiram more selective.
The policy actually worked too well for Hiram, once headed by Ohio native James A. Garfield before he was elected president in 1880. Enrollment fell from 1,400 to a low of 720 when Chema took over.
He started the tuition guarantee — believed to be the first of its kind in Ohio — and revamped its financial aid and enrollment processes.
The college has built several buildings including a sports, recreation and fitness center, and has launched an endowment campaign that raised $12 million — $2 million over its goal. Hiram aims to increase its endowment, now at $65 million, to $100 million.
Still, growth has been difficult in recent years because of the recession and shrinking numbers of high school graduates.
The college, in rural northeast Portage County, is poised to add ventures — online master’s and bachelor’s degree programs — and is counting on partnerships with community colleges to buttress enrollment.
Chema said he expects enrollment to grow to 2,000 or more in the next couple of years.
“I really feel we are a sustainable organization,” he said. “The next step is to take that from sustainability to thriving.”
His compensation was $279,000 in 2011, according to the college’s tax filings. Tuition, fees, room and board at the school total about $40,000 a year.
Chema said that while he’s leaving Hiram, he won’t be retiring. He kept part ownership of the Gateway consulting firm and is mulling other offers.
Carol Biliczky can be reached at cbiliczky@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3729.