Saint Joseph’s Picks Pastoor For President
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSaint Joseph's College has named Robert Pastoor its 18th president. He will succeed F. Dennis Riegelnegg, who stepped down from the Rensselaer-based school last June. Pastoor most recently served as vice president for student life at Marietta College in Ohio. January 28, 2014
News Release
Rensselaer, Ind. – On Wednesday, January 28, the Saint Joseph’s College Board of Trustees named Dr. Robert A. Pastoor the College’s 18th president. Pastoor’s presidency will begin on March 16, 2015.
Pastoor has more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration and comes to SJC from Marietta College of Marietta, Ohio, where he has been the vice president for student life since 2010.
His time at Marietta College, the University of San Diego, Carroll College, and Mount St. Mary’s gives Pastoor 20 years of vice presidential experience. Pastoor also served as the president of Saint John’s Catholic Prep from 2005 to 2009. He has multiple experiences in other areas of college leadership, including fundraising, academic excellence, strategic planning, and financial operations.
“My wife, children, and I are honored and elated to have been invited to join the SJC family,” said Pastoor. “I am looking forward to serving the community in our joint efforts to strengthen the College and move it into a dynamic future. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know, even briefly, the students, faculty and staff of the College. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for inviting me to lead SJC. Together, we will realize the many opportunities that lie before us to educate and train the men and women of SJC to become leaders in order to, ‘pursue justice ever mindful of the poor and marginalized.'”
As vice president for student life at Marietta College, Pastoor serves 1,500 students. His current duties include overseeing residence life, college police, student activities, Greek life, judicial affairs, new student orientation, health services, counseling and psychological services, peer education, international programs, student learning, diversity, and inclusion. As a member of the schools overall leadership, his mission has taken him into all areas of school strategic development that transcends the entire campus.
Some of Pastoor’s many accomplishments include establishing the Social Justice Leadership Institute class and experiential education program at Marietta College, developing a four-year learning model for student affairs with identified academic learning outcomes at both Marietta College and the University of San Diego, aiding in strategic institutional issues and long range planning as part of the President’s Cabinet, assisting with capital campaigns, leading grant initiatives, and managing multiple million dollar plus budgets.
Pastoor earned his Doctorate of Educational Leadership, Higher Education, and Technology Leadership from the University of Montana; his Master of Education in Counseling from McDaniel College; and his Bachelor of Science in History and Education from Mount St. Mary’s University.
“Pastoor is a strong leader who will bring stability and growth to SJC,” said Chairman of SJC’s Board of Trustees Ben Sponseller ’74. “He brings a healthy combination of Catholic mission, fundraising, academic excellence, student appreciation, and financial pragmatism that will ensure our long range future.”
Pastoor will succeed Dr. F. Dennis Riegelnegg, who served as SJC’s president from July 2009 to June 2014. Since July, Dr. Stephen Hulbert has served as the College’s interim President.
Pastoor and his wife Ann Marie Lynch will move to Rensselaer. They have three children, Thomas, Tully, and Marijka.
Named a “character-building college” by the Templeton Foundation, a “Best Midwestern College” by the Princeton Review, and “Best Value” and “Best Midwestern College” by US News & World Report, Saint Joseph's College is a four-year, Catholic college offering 27 majors, 4 group majors, 35 minors, and 9 pre-professional programs, complemented by the nationally acclaimed Core Program. Founded and sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, SJC is located in Rensselaer, Indiana, approximately 90 minutes from both Chicago and Indianapolis, on a park-like campus of 180 acres and has an enrollment of nearly 1,200 students.
Source: Saint Joseph's College