Roth steps in as interim president

Andrew Roth, Ph.D., jokes that he’s “flunked retirement.”
Roth, recently named the interim president of St. Bonaventure University, retired in 2014 following an 11-year presidency at Notre Dame College in suburban Cleveland. He will begin his yearlong interim presidency at Bonaventure on Aug. 1.
Roth said he has been aware of St. Bonaventure’s reputation for decades.
“I’ve known about St. Bonaventure for 30 or 40 years,” he said. “I have the greatest respect for it.”
Roth noted that Bona’s faith- and value-based education appealed to him, as well as the university’s strong alumni base.
During his tenure at Notre Dame, the school nearly tripled its enrollment. Roth said that in order to increase enrollment so drastically, he and his associates built a “first-class admissions department;” grew pre-existing programs; and started academic programs in nursing and public health.
“Of course, it was a team effort. I was fortunate to have great people on my team.”
For his time at Bonaventure, Roth says there are five main things he can do: speak with confidence about the university’s mission, work with faculty to implement a new strategic plan, create and sustain a vision for the future, meet with members of the college community and maintain an “honest and open” dialogue about the future of higher education.
“Bonaventure has already done a lot of big thinking,” Roth said.
As for what he hopes to personally get out of his year at Bonaventure, Roth said, “What I would hope for… would be the opportunity to use the skills and aptitudes that I’ve spent a lifetime acquiring, and to use those skills to help Bona’s advance.”