Paul J. LeBlanc is an academic administrator who was president of Marlboro College from 1998 to 2003 and president of

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with ...

from 2003 to 2024.

Early life and education

Born into a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

-speaking family in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, LeBlanc's family immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

when he was a child. He became the first person in his extended family to attend college. He enrolled at

Framingham State University Framingham State University (Framingham State or FSU) is a public university in Framingham, Massachusetts. The university, then known as the Normal School in Lexington was founded in 1839 as the first state-supported normal school in the United ...

, where he earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

. He then received his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

from

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

and his Ph.D. from the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

Professional career

From 1993 to 1996, LeBlanc worked for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company (now

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company ( ; HMH) is an American publisher of textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, and reference works. The company is based in the Financial District, Boston, Boston Financial District. It was fo ...

). He then served as the president of

Marlboro College Marlboro College was a private college in Marlboro, Vermont. Founded in 1946, it remained intentionally small, operating as a self-governing community with students following self-designed degree plans culminating in a thesis. In 1998, the colle ...

Marlboro, Vermont Marlboro is a New England town, town in Windham County, Vermont, Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,722 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town is home to the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum and P ...

from 1996 to 2003. In 2003, LeBlanc became the president of

(SNHU) in

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...

. LeBlanc is a signatory of the

American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment Started in 2006, the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) was a “high-visibility effort” to address global warming (global climate disruption) by creating a network of colleges and universities that had committe ...

and the

Amethyst Initiative The Amethyst Initiative is an organization made up of U.S. college presidents and chancellors that, in July 2008, launched a movement calling for the reconsideration of U.S. legal drinking age, particularly the minimum age of 21. The National ...

. In March 2015, LeBlanc embarked on a three-month assignment to serve as a senior advisor to

Under Secretary of Education The under secretary of education role was established as the second-highest-ranking position in the United States Department of Education when the agency was established in 1979. With the addition of a deputy secretary position in 1991, the under s ...

Ted Mitchell. His focus was primarily on how the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

can establish better accrediting standards for

competency-based learning Competency-based learning or competency-based education is a framework for teaching and assessment of learning. It is also described as a type of education based on predetermined "competencies," which focuses on outcomes and real-world performance ...

and other innovations. ''

The Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is an American newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals, including staff members and administrators. A subscription ...

'' describes LeBlanc as a leading advocate of competency-based learning. For his leadership at SNHU, LeBlanc has been named one of America's Ten Most Innovative College Presidents by ''

Washington Monthly ''Washington Monthly'' is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine primarily covering United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C. The magazine also publishes an annual ranking of American colleges and universities, which ser ...

''. ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' has listed him as one of its fifteen "Classroom Revolutionaries" and most influential people in higher education. In 2018, he received the TIAA Institute Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. He is also a recipient of the New Hampshire State Merit Award from the

New England Board of Higher Education The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) is an interstate compact founded in 1955 by six New England governors. The NEBHE was approved by New England’s six state legislatures and authorized by the U.S. Congress. NEBHE serves the six ...

, as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the New Hampshire High Tech Council, and was inducted into the ''

New Hampshire Business Review ''New Hampshire Business Review'' is a bi-monthly publication, published on newsprint and based in Manchester, covering business-related issues in New Hampshire. ''New Hampshire Business Review'' started in 1978, and was purchased from the Madde ...

'' Hall of Fame in 2017. LeBlanc serves on the

American Council on Education The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. higher education association established in 1918. ACE's members are the leaders of approximately 1,600 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher educati ...

's Board of Directors, the

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI, pronounced nah-SEEK-eeh) is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the U.S. secretary of education "on matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility a ...

(NACIQI), and the

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), also known as the National Academies, is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization that serves as the collective scientific national academy of the Uni ...

's Board on Higher Education and Workforce. In July 2019, LeBlanc was appointed to the board of directors of

Chegg Chegg, Inc., is an American Educational technology, education technology company based in Santa Clara, California. It provides homework help, digital and physical textbook rentals, textbooks, online tutoring, and other student services. The comp ...

, an American education technology company that provides textbook rentals and sells students solutions to their course assignments and exam questions. In 2016, he was the second highest paid college administrator in New Hampshire with a salary of almost one million dollars. In December 2023, LeBlanc announced his retirement from Southern New Hampshire University, effective June 2024.

Personal life

LeBlanc and his wife Patricia Findlen have two daughters, Emma and Hannah.

References

External links

SNHU Leadership
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leblanc, Paul Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Southern New Hampshire University faculty Framingham State University alumni Boston College alumni University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni Heads of universities and colleges in the United States American people of French-Canadian descent