President Paul J. Maurer is pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Hijleh has accepted the position as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Montreat College’s School of Arts and Sciences. As Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hijleh will act as the chief academic officer for the School of Arts and Sciences, overseeing the execution of academic policy and curriculum, program development, accreditation matters, and faculty hiring and development.
“It will be a delight and an honor to begin a new chapter of Christian service with Montreat College in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Dr. Hijleh says.
Most recently, Dr. Hijleh has served as Provost at The King’s College in New York City. His depth of experience also includes serving at The King’s College as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty and on the President’s Cabinet and President’s Council. Under Dr. Hijleh’s direction, The King’s College’s retention rate rose from 62 percent to 79 percent, and up to 90 percent of students are able to complete at least one internship during their time. Furthermore, online summer revenue doubled during his time at the college.
Dr. Hijleh previously served for 21 years at Houghton College where he first served as chair for the Integrative Studies Collegium, which became the campus-wide unit overseeing all of general education, from 2009-2011. Later, he served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and was able to develop a new Lilly grant-funded faculty peer mentoring program, as well as initiate a new career exploration and support program for students.
“We are honored and thrilled to have Dr. Mark Hijleh join us at Montreat College. Mark comes with a practical depth of knowledge in leadership, innovation, and collaboration that is melded with a desire to serve. His heart and mind for the Lord and for Christian higher education will be an incredible asset, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve alongside him,” said President Maurer.
Dr. Hijleh holds degrees from the University of Sheffield in the UK, John Hopkins University, Ithaca College, and William Jewell College.
Dr. Hijleh currently resides in New York, and he and his wife Kelley have two children. He will begin his role at Montreat College on July 12, 2021.