The Arkansas State University System has announced that Charles Ambrose will be the next chancellor of Henderson State University.
Ambrose was most recently the president and CEO of KnowledgeWorks, a national nonprofit that partners with schools, policymakers and education stakeholders to support students and prepare educators for the future of learning. He served as the president of the University of Central Missouri from 2010-2019 and president of Pfeiffer University, a private Christian university in North Carolina, from 1998-2010.
Ambrose takes over at Henderson State on Nov. 15. System President Charles Welch in a news release called Ambrose a nationally renowned educator and innovator who has experience "creating efficient and sustainable universities that are focused on student success."
"His former colleagues also note how he knows every student by name," Welch said. "He’s exactly the kind of experienced, visionary leader that we hoped to attract and that Henderson deserves at this critical time in its history."
Ambrose succeeds Interim Chancellor Jim Borsig, who in August announced he was resigning for health reasons. Borsig took the reins in July 2020 for acting president Elaine Kneebone, who was appointed to that role a year earlier after former president Glen Jones resigned amid financial turmoil at the school.
Henderson State's Board of Trustees voted three months after Jones' departure to join the Arkansas State University System, a move that rescued the institution from poverty.
Ambrose led an extensive governance, administrative and academic review process at Central Missouri designed to provide a stronger educational experience for students, the release says. He also cut operational costs.
Ambrose holds a bachelor's from Furman University, a master's in higher education administration from the University of Louisville and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Georgia.
Ambrose's annual salary at Henderson State will be $250,000. He will live in Newberry House on campus.
Henderson State reported a fall enrollment of 3,342 students.
