DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) — St. Norbert College President Brian Bruess is resigning from his position for a new job.
Bruess made the announcement Tuesday.
“It is hard to leave the people you love so much and the institution that means so much to you,” Bruess, a St. Norbet Alumnus himself, told the media. “But I get to leave knowing that we’ve accomplished so much. We’re in such a strong financial position.”
Bruess will become the inaugural president of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota in July. It’s the first time the two separate Catholic Benedictine schools, which share faculty, will share a president. The College of Saint Benedict is a women’s college, and Saint John’s University is a men’s university.
In an interview Tuesday, Bruess said he did not intend to leave St. Norbert and did not actively seek the new job. He said others encouraged him to interview for the position.
Bruess navigated St. Norbert College through a number of controversies and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being a college president comes with a lot of challenges, no matter where you are, and it’s those challenges that make your institution stronger,” “The challenges we’ve overcome the last five years have really brought the college together…we’ve navigated so much.”
Former St. Norbert College president Thomas Kunkel will return as president on an interim basis for one year.
Former St. Norbert College President Tom Kunkel. (SNC)
Kunkel spent nine years as president at St. Norbert College, retiring in 2017, and was replaced by Bruess.
Comments