Hampshire College President Ed Wingenbach to Step Down in June

Wingenbach came to Hampshire in July 2019, at a critical moment in the College’s history, when the board and community committed to Hampshire as an independent, autonomous institution delivering on its distinctive mission. This followed a period that saw the reversal of the College’s decision to seek a partner for a merger and not to admit a class that fall.

“In 2019, the board knew we needed a skilled administrator and passionate educator to lead the College through a time of turmoil and rebuilding,” said Hampshire’s Chair of the Board of Trustees Jose Fuentes. “In Ed, we found just that.”

Said Hampshire alum and Change in the Making campaign CoChair Ken Burns, “As an institution, Hampshire College grapples with the enormous problems our world faces and turns out students who will actually be able to solve them. It was clear from the moment he arrived that Ed’s personal and professional values are deeply, fundamentally aligned with our profound mission. What’s more, his clear-eyed abilities as an administrator brought the College through a precarious chapter in its history and created a solid foundation upon which to launch into the second half of its first century. All of us in the Hampshire family should feel grateful and energized at the opportunity to build upon his remarkable legacy.”

Hampshire’s board will launch a national search for a new president in February. If a candidate is not selected and able to begin by July 1, the board announced that Jennifer Chrisler, the College’s vice president for institutional support, will act as interim president.

Wingenbach’s Achievements

Upon arriving at Hampshire, Wingenbach developed and implemented a multiyear strategic plan producing significant enrollment increases, substantial fundraising growth, and dramatic curricular innovation. Applications have doubled since 2020 and total enrollment has grown by 60 percent. Entering class sizes increased 58 percent in 2021, 50 percent in 2022, and 24 percent in 2023. The Change in the Making campaign has raised nearly $47 million in direct operating support, including three $5 million gifts, the largest since the College’s founding. In 2019, Wingenbach spearheaded a community-wide process to reimagine and reinvigorate an innovative student academic experience, and the College’s board ratified a new direction for Hampshire, placing urgent challenges, rather than disciplines, at the center of the curriculum.

Under this plan, the College has secured approximately $70 million from extraordinary sources (fundraising, state/federal funds, unrestricted endowment) to supplement the operating budget, enabling Hampshire to maintain resources as if it were near full enrollment. These funds have created the space to implement changes that will allow the College to operate sustainably when the student body reaches 1,000. Hampshire is on track to achieve financial balance by 2027.

“I am filled with pride in what we have accomplished. Hampshire refuses to compromise its mission to create the best version of education: to challenge the norms, lead with courage and creativity, and inspire the world to imagine what’s possible.”Ed Wingenbach

Wingenbach developed the division of Justice, Equity, and Antiracism, creating a senior vice president position tasked with deepening the integration of the division’s work into all facets of College life. This commitment has been reflected in both hiring and admissions practices — since 2019, 44 percent of new full-time faculty hires are BIPOC, BIPOC enrollment has increased by 9.4 percent, and the number of Pell Grant recipients is up by 15.4 percent.

During his tenure, Hampshire became one of the only colleges to attain carbon neutrality, including all indirect emissions. He also navigated the COVID-19 crisis on campus, ensuring students a residential educational experience while maintaining rigorous public health and safety standards. In 2023, following the takeover of New College of Florida (NCF) by conservative leaders, Hampshire offered admission to all NCF students in good standing; ultimately more than 70 students transferred.

“I came to Hampshire to take up the rare and urgent opportunity to prove that progressive, experimental, student-centered education could not only survive but thrive in the United States,” Wingenbach said. “It was an epic challenge, and I was honored to take it on together with the Hampshire community.  I am filled with pride in what we have accomplished. Hampshire refuses to compromise its mission to create the best version of education: to challenge the norms, lead with courage and creativity, and inspire the world to imagine what’s possible. Hampshire has a strong foundation for a successful future, proving that this extraordinary vision of education can endure and flourish. Hampshire College exists to transform education and, in doing so, change the world — its best days are still ahead.”

Hampshire College

Hampshire College offers a bold curriculum that gives students the tools to tackle the complex, pressing issues of the 21st century. Departing completely from traditional college majors and siloed academic departments, Hampshire intentionally prepares students for a future of constant and rapid change, in which graduates will need to apply advanced skills and innovate continually. The College invites students to

• explore and innovate freely across any fields of knowledge; and
• develop lifelong entrepreneurial skills, such as creative problem-solving, applied critical thinking, and resiliency, as each student designs the questions that drive them into their personal, original program, a hallmark of a Hampshire education.

Hampshire was founded by its partners in the Five College Consortium. The consortium offers students free, open access to a breadth of resources, among them courses, libraries, symposia, certificate programs, clubs, events, and transportation.

Jennifer Chrisler

Jennifer Chrisler has held multiple leadership positions in higher education. She was Hampshire’s chief advancement officer from 2019 to 2024, and during her tenure launched the largest major fundraising campaign in the College’s history as well as a strategic financial sustainability plan. In July 2024, she became vice president for institutional support, where she leads fundraising, alumni and family relations, enrollment, financial aid, marketing and communications, public relations, and event services.

Before joining Hampshire, she was vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and served as vice president of alumnae relations at her alma mater, Smith College.

Chrisler has been an advocate and frequent speaker on issues of LGBT equality. From 2005 to 2013, she led the Family Equality Council, a national nonprofit dedicated to securing equality for LGBT parents and their children. There she built a strong fundraising program, bringing in close to $3 million annually. As executive director, she worked in partnership with the board and the council’s development director to grow its major donor program and secure foundation grants and large corporate sponsors.

She is currently the chair of the board for Fenway Health, which advocates for and delivers innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services, and transformative research and education, centering LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities.

The American College of Greece

The American College of Greece (ACG), Europe’s oldest and largest U.S.-accredited educational institution, serves nearly 8,000 students from over 70 countries. ACG comprises three divisions: Deree, offering undergraduate and graduate programs; Alba, Greece’s premiere private graduate school of business; and Pierce, a highly regarded elementary and secondary school. Each year, ACG welcomes more than 1,200 study abroad students from 255 U.S. and international universities, as well as over 1,000 students from Greek public universities through its innovative Parallel Study program. A leader in sustainability, ACG has achieved global recognition, ranking second in the master’s institution category and as the top performer outside North America in the 2024 AASHE Sustainable Campus Index.