This semester, Blackburn College was looking for a new President to replace Dr. John Comerford who left last year. After months of interviewing and searching, Dr. Julie Murray-Jensen was chosen. She is finishing up work at her current job, but she will start at Blackburn next semester.
Political science professor Dr. Laura Wiedlocher was a member of the search committee who liked Murray-Jensen a lot. She said through an email, “Dr. Murray-Jensen stood out to me as someone who gets things done.”
Murray-Jensen had two job offers, including this one for Blackburn President. “I was able to turn down the other position with no regrets,” she said, “because I really believe that Blackburn is the place I needed to be.” What really drew her to Blackburn was the work program. While she was getting her doctorate, she said she “fell in love with the work college model,” and she even wrote a paper on it.
Murray-Jensen knew for a long time that she was going to be a college president. She is currently working at Clammist Community College in Southern Oregon. She’s been a college vice president at a few different schools, she’s been a dean and she’s worked in academic affairs. “The college could use a leader like me,” she said.
During the interview process, Wiedlocher said, “I really felt like she wanted to get to know us as a community as much as we were getting to know her.” Murray-Jensen put an emphasis on collaborating with students, faculty and staff. She wants the students in particular to know that she cares what they think. “I’m going to be spending a lot of time in my first few months listening and learning the culture,” she said, “because it’s important to hear the concerns.” Her plan is to have some sort of forum or event where she can hear directly from the students.
While she loves the small size of the campus, Murray-Jensen recognizes the weaknesses that come with it. “The financial model of all small colleges these days has really been challenged,” she said, “but that leads to better creativity… Small colleges are having to redefine themselves, and I see it as such an opportunity.” She admitted there are some aspects of this college that are not sustainable, but she will be focusing heavily on creative solutions for enrollment, fundraising and sustainability.
Wiedlocher believes that “Blackburn will benefit from a fresh set of eyes and lead the college not just where we are right now, but where we will be years from now.” Murray-Jensen made it clear that being Blackburn’s President will not be a “two-year kind of gig, but more of a 10 year kind of project.” She wants to help the college evolve in a way that will make Blackburn students more competitive and better served by the college. She described Blackburn as the perfect fit for her, and Wiedlocher said the same thing, but added that she is “excited for the ways that she will stand out and maybe not ‘fit in.’”
One of the less glamorous aspects of the campus that Murray-Jensen thinks could be modified to better serve students are the residence halls. She explained, “The needs of residential students have evolved in the past 20 years.” When she was touring the campus, she was not shown inside the residence halls, but “knowing that world like I do,” she said, “I knew they were modest and traditional.”
“I’m a leader who’s all about hustle,” Murray-Jensen said, “I’m all about making things stronger that are underestimated.” She thinks that Blackburn is “a gem in the rough that maybe is underestimated,” but said that she is excited to learn the ways she can help the students, faculty and staff reach their full potential.