Leadership

Our President

Prescott College’s 18th president, Dr. Barbara Morris, comes to the college after serving as the associate vice provost and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the State University of New York (SUNY) System. SUNY is the largest university system in the United States, comprising 64 institutions and serving over a million students from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Morris led education reform across the SUNY campuses as well as efforts to expand Indigenous learning and support systems. Dr. Morris served as co-chair for the Native American Council which includes the Indigenous Learning Center.

As Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the Redlands, Dr. Morris created a one-stop student success center, participated in a capital campaign for the Center for the Arts, which raised over $20 million, and was part of the university’s centennial campaign which raised over $100 million. Dr. Morris was also involved in securing the largest single endowment gift in the university’s history for an endowed chair of Native American Studies.

Prior to her work at the SUNY System, Dr. Morris served as president of SUNY Oneonta. One-third of SUNY Oneonta’s students are first generation and come from under-represented backgrounds. While at Oneonta, Dr. Morris launched a $25 million comprehensive campaign, secured funding for a general education pathway for students, and received the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Excellence and Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development.

With her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State and her advanced degrees from the University of California Santa Barbara, Dr. Morris has taught courses on American foreign policy; gender, power, and public policy; and political activism. Her recent work includes co-authoring Recreating the Circle: The Renewal of American Indian Self-Determination, with LaDonna Harris and Dr. Stephen M. Sachs. Additionally, Dr. Morris served as the president of the Race and Ethnicity, and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association.