Dr. Suzanne Walsh

Suzanne Elise Walsh, JD, 19th president of Bennett College, has led her institution through a radical transformation, dismantling the traditional semester system in favor of the innovative minimester system, which has significantly improved student retention and engagement. The College boasts an impressive 90% retention rate, with 63% of students actively participating in internships and experiential learning, and a 16% increase in enrollment for Fall 2023. Under Walsh’s leadership, Bennett College has experienced three consecutive years of positive cash flow, introduced a virtual learning option for students unable to attend in-person, created innovative business partnerships to support key administrative functions and secured a historic financial investment strategy. Bennett College is ranked the #1 liberal arts college for social mobility in 2022 and a 2022-2023 Best College by U.S. News & World Report; distinguished as a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader for 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023; a Top 25 Women's College for 2023 by College Consensus (BestCollege.com) and the first and only women's college with a U.S. Small Business Administration Women's Business Center on its campus. Walsh's pioneering work at the intersection of innovation, technology, and learning has earned her national and international acclaim.