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President's Office

Laura Sykes ’98
Interim President and Professor of Arts & Sciences

Megan E. Oman ’13
Executive Assistant
603.526.3451

Interim President Sykes's ’98 Biography

President’s Welcome

Greetings from Colgate Hall! I am delighted to welcome you to my alma mater, Colby-Sawyer College, where I am serving a one-year term as interim president while the college completes a national search for its tenth president.

Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer has a rich history as an academy, junior college and baccalaureate institution. Currently, the college offers a range of undergraduategraduate and professional programs in three schools: nursing and health sciences, business and social sciences, and arts and sciences. Our programs are designed to provide both a depth of knowledge in a student’s field of study and hands-on professional preparation that creates a seamless transition to the workforce.

Each major at the college provides a robust exploration of a specific discipline under the guidance of our dynamic faculty members, ranked No. 1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching by U.S. News & World Report. With a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 19, our students have extraordinary access to their professors. As the culmination of their major study, students complete a Capstone research project that allows them to dive deeply into a particular area of interest.

All undergraduate students complete an internship in their field, which helps them put their classroom learning into professional practice. That practice is so strong that 79% of graduates in the Class of 2023 were offered employment by their internship sites — and 48% accepted the offer. All students also graduate with a Liberal Education & Professionalization (LEAP) minor, which signals to employers and graduate schools that our graduates have the skills that make them ready for employment, advanced study and promotion. As a result, our student outcomes are strong. In fact, 95% of our graduates are employed or attending graduate school within six months of graduation, and 93% of our alumni are employed in an industry related to their field of study.

Colby-Sawyer also offers 11 graduate and professional degrees. that include associate programs and bachelor degree completion programs for working professionals seeking to advance in their professions; master’s degrees in nursing, business administration, social work and exercise science; and a doctorate in nursing practice. Current undergraduate students have the opportunity to continue directly into our 4+1 Masters of Business Administration or Masters of Science in Exercise Science programs, allowing them to earn a master’s degree with only one additional year of full-time study. As with undergraduate programs, outcomes for graduate and professional programs are very competitive.

But Colby-Sawyer is more than simply a collection of dynamic programs; it is also a caring, inclusive community. Our faculty and staff are committed to supporting students to become not just productive professionals, but also healthy human beings and engaged global citizens. As an institution, we respect the identities of all individuals. We know our college is enhanced by a diversity of perspectives, and we are committed to creating a campus climate that welcomes, values and represents equity, diversity and inclusion. We are committed to removing barriers that have been, and continue to be, encountered by equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to women, visible/racial minorities, persons with disabilities and LGBTQIA+. You can learn more about diversity at Colby-Sawyer here.

I encourage you to explore the website for more information about the academic and cocurricular programs Colby-Sawyer offers. I hope, though, that you will schedule a visit to campus to experience first-hand our beautiful environment and our close, welcoming community. Come find out why so many students tell us that they stepped on campus and said, “It just feels right!”

We look forward to meeting you!

Best wishes,

Laura Sykes ’98
Interim President and Professor of Arts & Sciences