Saint Paul's College names president 

March 26, 2007
From the Richmond Times Dispatch

Saint Paul's College board of trustees has named Robert L. Satcher Sr. president of the college.

Satcher, who had been the interim president since July, replaces John K. Waddell, who left to become president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas.

Robert L. Satcher

Satcher, 69, said he felt honored that the trustees put their trust in him.

"I don't think I know how to be an interim president," he said. "I know how to be president, and I just believe in doing . . . the job to best of my ability."

Saint Paul's -- in Lawrenceville, about 60 miles south of Richmond in Brunswick County -- is a private, historically black liberal arts college affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1888.

Enrollment averages about 700 students. The college has begun efforts to increase enrollment to 800 by fall and to 1,000 students by 2010.

The college is looking for more commuting students and wants to recruit more students from Southside Virginia, Satcher said.

Space to house students is an issue, Satcher said. The college has a capacity to house about 500 students on campus, and it is looking for off-campus landlords, he said.

The college is undergoing a self-evaluation, he said. It will revisit its mission, delineate new goals and work on long-range and strategic plans.

"We want to become a better college and more relevant to the needs of the students," he said. "We want to become more competitive."

Satcher earned a bachelor's degree at Alabama State University and master's degrees from Arizona State University and Oregon State University.

He came to Saint Paul's 18 years ago from Fisk University in Tennessee, where he served six years as vice president for academic affairs and provost and interim president.

He taught chemistry at Saint Paul's until last July, when he became interim president. He has also served as vice president for academic affairs and provost at the college.

The college also faces some financial challenges, Satcher said. It needs to increase its $4.5 million endowment, he said.

"That's a drop in the bucket nowadays," he said.

Satcher said that in recent months the college has seen a daily increase in donations, especially from churches. He attributes that to better communication and a reaffirmation of the commitment to be accountable.

"The college has some indebtedness that we must address. Hopefully, we'll be able to raise adequate funds to be responsible in terms of that indebtedness and at the same time to keep moving the college forward."