The Rev. Dr. David C. Joyce has nearly 30 years of experience in private higher education. Though only in his fourth year as president of Ripon College, he has already established himself as one of the most hands-on, progressive leaders in the institution’s history.

When he joined the College in 2003, Dr. Joyce outlined a bold vision for the future that would have been impossible without immediate improvements to the College’s fiscal health. Each of his four years since then has seen a balanced budget, and the endowment has nearly doubled. On the strength of its financial position, the College embarked on a $20 million capital-improvement initiative during the fall of 2006. Much-needed renovations to the physical plant, several new parking lots and new signage were immediate results of this effort, but the construction of a new student residence hall – the first all-new building on campus in more than 30 years – is the most ambitious. Fifty-six upperclassmen will call the modern, 29,000-square-foot facility home beginning in the fall 2007.

A renewed focus on community engagement will be an enduring legacy of Dr. Joyce’s presidency. Although a strong relationship existed between the College and the City of Ripon, lines had been drawn that he was determined to erase. The newly created Office of Community Engagement was a direct outcome of this vision. It, along with the president’s staff and the dean of faculty, are now housed in the Carnegie Building (formerly the Carnegie Library), a downtown Ripon location acquired by the College in 2005. Plans for a more formal “gateway” into campus, leading up Seward Street from the Carnegie Building, are already in the works.

Dr. Joyce also led an overhaul of the College’s visual branding. Dramatic changes to both the Ripon College and the Red Hawk Athletics logos took place under his guidance, along with the look and feel of publications. Recognizing the need for a more compelling and useful online presence, he helped secure the resources for a desperately needed refresh of ripon.edu, a project that went live in fall 2006. From day one, he also made it very clear that seeking mental, physical and spiritual balance for faculty and staff was not only encouraged, but expected. As a result, morale and productivity at the College have benefited immeasurably.

The College is presently drafting a comprehensive strategic plan to carry it through the next several years, a direct result of Dr. Joyce’s vision. The plan will be in place for the fall 2007 semester.

From 1996-2003, Dr. Joyce served as president of Union College in Kentucky, an 850-student, regional, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. He has also served as vice president for institutional advancement at Otterbein College in Ohio, and has been involved in development and fund-raising at several other institutions, including the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, The Divinity School at Vanderbilt University and Pfeiffer University.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pfeiffer University, a master of divinity in pastoral psychology from Yale’s Divinity School, a master of science in psychology from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in human resource development from Vanderbilt.

He is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and is a member of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church. He serves on the Boards of Directors for the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, the Council of Independent Colleges, Ripon Main Street, Inc., the Appalachia Service Project and the Appalachian College Association. He also serves on the Presidents’ Advisory Committee of the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, the President’s Advisory Council for NCAA Division III Athletics, and as Co-Chair of the Wisconsin Campus Compact. He is the Chair of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Education Task Force, is a member of the Reauthorization Task Force on Student Financial Aid, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and serves on the Committee on Athletics and Character, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as well as the American Council on Education, and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

To relax, Dr. Joyce enjoys mountain biking and fly fishing. He resides in Ripon with his wife, Lynne, principal of Leadership First Co., a management consulting company.