Academic Dean

Dr. Susan J. Wolff, CEO/Dean of Great Falls College MSU is a 5th generation Montanan raised on a cattle ranch homesteaded in Hall, Montana in 1876. Susan earned her bachelor’s degree from Montana State University. Later in her career, she earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from Oregon State University. Dr. Wolff was an educational leader at the community college and university levels in the States of Oregon and Washington before returning to Montana July 2012 to accept the position at Great Falls College MSU.

Creating strong, collaborative relationships with community agencies, business and industry, government, and other education partners opens doors to success. Susan’s career passion is building community through education, economic growth, and workforce development. She has worked with national and state policy advisors, agencies, and departments to develop new education opportunities in her quest to improve the lives of others.

Dr. Wolff currently serves on the following boards:  Great Falls Development Authority; Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and its Agriculture and Military Affairs Committees; United Way of Cascade County Campaign Cabinet; and within the last two years termed off the Montana Chamber of Commerce; Montana Manufacturing Extension Center Advisory Board; Montana Ambassadors; and the Mountain Pacific Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Susan is a Rotarian, a 2019 graduate of Leadership Montana, was named the Mike Malone Educator of the Year for the State of Montana in 2015 by the Montana Ambassadors, and honored to be given the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished College Administrator Award in 2012.

In January 2020, Ron Slinger became the 9th President of Miles Community College located in Miles City, Montana.  Prior to taking this position, he served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Strategic Partnerships, and Workforce Solutions at Red Rocks Community College in Colorado.  During his career, he has raised over $36 million dollars in capital needs, scholarships, academic program support, and student support services.  Ron has a long track record of building strategic partnerships that benefit the community, employers, and the faculty, staff, and students of the college he is working for.

Ron has been elected to four public offices: County Commissioner, Mayor, City Council, and School Board.  He is currently in the final stages of completing his Doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University (Michigan).  He holds a Masters Degree in Higher Education Student Affairs from Bowling Green State University (Ohio)and a Bachelors Degree in Communications from The Defiance College (Ohio).  At Defiance College, he was a four-year starter and three-time captain on the football team as well as a four-time national qualifier on their speech team.

Dr. Jon Harbor joined Purdue Global as provost in 2020. Previously, he served as the provost and executive vice president for the University of Montana and as executive director of digital education and associate vice president for teaching and learning at Purdue University. Harbor champions teaching excellence and the expansion of quality online education to meet the needs of diverse learners. He is experienced in designing processes that help academic organizations develop and implement novel strategies for success, with a particular focus on access, innovation, and excellence.

At the University of Montana, Harbor oversaw academic and student affairs and, with his team, launched partnerships to develop new online programs, transitioned to a data-informed academic advising model, designed a new budget model, and encouraged pedagogical transformations through a teaching excellence initiative. He joined Purdue University as an associate professor in 1994 and was promoted to full professor in 2001.

Harbor was recognized with Purdue University’s top awards for both undergraduate teaching and graduate mentoring and was inducted into Purdue’s “Book of Great Teachers.” He has served in a wide range of leadership positions at the university level, including associate vice president for research, dean of a college of liberal arts and sciences, founding/interim director of a global sustainability institute, and founding co-director of a learning research center.

Harbor was born in England and completed his undergraduate studies at Cambridge University and his PhD in geological sciences at the University of Washington. His research and education initiatives have been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Geographic, and international science foundations. Harbor has served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, an American Council on Education Fellow, and a European Union Marie Curie Fellow. In 2015, Stockholm University awarded him an honorary doctorate.

An effective communicator with varied audiences, Harbor is a frequent speaker at conferences, at academic institutions, and for community, business, and K–12 audiences.

Dr. John Cech is the 18th President of Carroll College

Dr. Cech previously served in the Montana University System for the past 16 years, first as the leader of City College at MSU Billings, which doubled its enrollment and significantly expanded its campus footprint under Cech’s leadership. Cech spent eight year as Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education for the Montana University System, where he was responsible for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs for the State.

During his tenure, the Montana University System was recognized for its work through Complete College America as one of four states in the nation to make systemic advances in key initiatives around student success and completion. Cech has led the CCA efforts for Montana and was recently appointed by the Complete College America President as one of 50 CCA Fellows in the nation. 

Prior to his tenure with the Montana University System, Cech served Rocky Mountain College for 15 years, first as a faculty instructor, then as a director, and eventually as Dean of Community Services, Continuing Education and Summer Sessions. Cech earned a doctorate in higher education leadership, a master’s degree in nonprofit management, and a baccalaureate in business administration and computer information systems.

Cech is also looking forward to working with Carroll faculty and staff to underscore the importance of the liberal arts as the foundation of Carroll’s academic programs and to explore opportunities for expansion of graduate and undergraduate opportunities for students at the College. During his interview, he discussed his desire to engage faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees to create a shared vision and strategic plan for the future of Carroll College.  “Carroll’s future is so bright given its amazing academic reputation with outcomes such as highest athletic GPA in the NAIA conference, 85 percent acceptance rate into medical school, and nearly 100 percent acceptance rate into graduate schools,” said Cech. 

Prior to applying for the presidency, Cech and his wife Victoria already had a special familiarity with Carroll. “As the parents of a Saint (son Isaiah is a current junior), both Victoria and I believe in Carroll College, its mission and the large impact the Carroll experience has on students,” said Cech.

For the past several years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of the faculty, staff and Carroll community, the mission, and its Catholic identity. I’ve come to see firsthand that ‘Not for School, But for Life’, isn’t just some motto on a plaque. It’s something real and life-giving.”

Cech assumed the Carroll presidency in June 2018. He replaced Rev. Stephen Rowan, PhD, who served as interim president for the college since August 1, 2017, after former President Thomas Evans, PhD, stepped down to accept the position of president at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.D