Alumni
Meet President Cornwell
Lessons in Sailing
As the College voyaged into its 130th year, the Tars gained a new captain. As avid sailors, President Grant Cornwell and his wife Peg have learned lessons aboard
A Conversation with the President
Grant Cornwell reflects on his first year as president and discusses plans for his second year at the helm of the College.
Inauguration Address
Excerpt from Reflections on Liberal Education and Practicality by Grant Cornwell
Read Full Address (PDF)
About Grant H. Cornwell, PhD
George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Professor of Distinguished Presidential Leadership & Professor of Philosophy
Grant Cornwell, who is nationally recognized for his work in defining liberal learning in a global environment, serves on the Council on Foreign Relations' Global Literacy Advisory Board and is a member of the board of directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. He is a co-author of “An Education for the Twenty-First Century: Stewardship of the Global Commons,” which appeared in AAC&U’s Liberal Education and has written about multiculturalism, freedom, diversity, and global citizenship.
For the eight years before his Rollins presidency, Cornwell served as president of The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, where he built a common vision through strategic planning and a collaborative approach that involved the entire college community. Prior to his time at Wooster, he served as vice president of the university and dean of academic affairs at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, for five years. In the previous 16 years, he was a member of St. Lawrence’s philosophy department. Cornwell holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and biology from St. Lawrence, and master's and doctoral degrees in philosophy from the University of Chicago.
Videos
Learn why the Presidential Search Committee selected Grant Cornwell as the 15th president of Rollins and what attracted Cornwell to Rollins.
Watch the inauguration ceremony of Grant Cornwell, which included an original poem by Billy Collins, a special arrangement of the Rollins alma mater, and performances by the Rollins and Bach Festival concert choirs and orchestras.
Publications
"On Purpose: Liberal Education and the Question of Value"
Read Paper (PDF)
"An Education for the 21st Century: Stewardship of the Global Commons"
Read Paper (PDF)
Speeches
Making Up Your Mind: The Project of Liberal Education
Convocation & Matriculation Address
Read Speech (PDF)
Reflections on Liberal Education and Practicality
Inauguration Address
Read Address (PDF)