On April 26, Clancy resident John Cech will be inaugurated as the 18th president of Carroll College in Helena. It is a plum post for a man who has spent nearly his entire career in higher education. But it’s also a tough gig: Enrollment at Carroll, like that at many small colleges, has been declining. The 110-year-old Catholic institution, which draws students from across the Northwest, must find new ways to stay relevant in the face of shifting demographics and preferences.
Cech, 56, arrived at Carroll after eight years as deputy commissioner of Higher Education for the Montana University System, where he was responsible for academic, research, and student affairs. Before that, he headed City College at Montana State University-Billings. His wife Victoria is director of the Montana Hospital Association Foundation — and teaches ancient Greek at Carroll.
Cech talked with The Monitor in his paneled office in St. Charles Hall, Carroll’s original building.
