PRESIDENT
ANGELIA MILLENDER
TAKING CENTURY COLLEGE TO“ NEW HEIGHTS”
When Angelia Millender first set foot on Century College’ s campus, the message displayed at the front entrance resonated immediately.“ It said,‘ Your Bridge to Success,’ and that is exactly what I have spent my career doing – serving in and leading open-access institutions that further the vital goal of helping students bridge the equity and achievement gaps so that they can achieve at higher levels,” says Millender.
Millender, who began her term July 2017, says helping Century College’ s students achieve success will be at the heart of all she does.“ I felt an immediate connection with the Century College students,” says Millender.“ Through many conversations, I’ ve seen that our students are outstanding and that they possess a true desire to be better than they are today, and I share that vision with them.”
TWO-YEAR NATIONWIDE SEARCH
The nationwide search for Century College’ s new president that brought Millender to the campus for the first time lasted two years and included a wide range of stakeholders including students, faculty, staff and community leaders, along with leaders from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Together, the group set out to find a leader who could meet the College’ s unique needs.
“ We wanted a leader who could work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community members to deliver on the College’ s strategic plan and its promise to eliminate the racial achievement gap; create clear, supported pathways to transfer and employment; provide integrated support; and align and evaluate the College and its resources to meet these goals,” says Steven Rosenstone, former Chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
In Millender, the search committee saw an experienced executive leader known for her track record of championing diversity and cultural competence. Since 2014, Millender had served as president of Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, Illinois. Under her leadership, the college implemented high-impact strategies that dramatically improved the graduation rate, the number of graduates earning credentials of value, and the number of students transitioning from remediation to college-ready. In addition, the college completed major improvements to student learning and student spaces, secured multi-million-dollar grants from the Department of Education to support STEM programming for underrepresented students, and acquired $ 3.5 million in equipment and scholarships by leveraging industry partnerships.
Previously, Millender served at Florida’ s Broward College as district vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, Berkeley College in New York as campus operations officer / dean of student development and external affairs, and Robert Morris University as vice president of student services, dean of student services, director of career planning and placement, and as a member of the faculty. She holds a bachelor’ s degree from Chicago State University and a master’ s from National Louis University in Illinois.
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Just weeks into her term, Millender had already been busy building the community connections she greatly values – meeting with mayors, attending community gatherings, and reaching out to local leaders.“ We want Century
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