John Carroll University's New President Reimagines the Student Experience

For more than a century, the president of John Carroll University was always a Jesuit. As a Jesuit Catholic institution, it felt like a foregone conclusion that the school would be led by a Jesuit brother, who would, obviously, be a man. The university was founded in 1886 as St. Ignatius College, at what is now St. Ignatius High School, and it was only in 1968 that it began admitting women to its campus in University Heights. In 2018, the university was preparing to welcome its first lay president, Michael D. Johnson, who was succeeded in 2021 by another non-priest, Alan Miciak. But now, the face of John Carroll’s leadership has been completely redefined. In June, after Miciak’s retirement, Carolyn Noll Sorg will become the university’s 27th president, and the first woman to hold the role. She previously served as vice president for enrollment and marketing. Ahead of her inauguration, Cleveland Magazine chatted with Noll Sorg about her path to the presidency, the response to her historic appointment and her vision for the future.

Cleveland Magazine: What brought you to John Carroll University in the first place?

Carolyn Noll Sorg: I came to John Carroll in 2023, after a period of reinvention or close examination of what I wanted post-COVID. Those COVID years were challenging. My dad was sick with cancer. I had young kids — a baby and a preschooler — at home. I was working for the College Board, doing consultative work with higher education, and testing centers were shut down, so there was a lot of financial stress at work. I kind of came out of that period depressed, thinking: “What’s my purpose here? What am I meant to do? And how do I want to spend my time?” I was sitting in that space of aching for change when the (vice president of enrollment management) job was posted at John Carroll. I talked to a mentor about the role and she said, “Oh, you have to go and do this, because it’s a Jesuit university.”

CM: What does it mean to you to be named the first female president in JCU history? 

CNS: It’s pretty surreal. I value representation; I have a daughter, and I want her to see women in key leadership roles. It’s been amazing to me the number of women who have reached out to me since this announcement. Women were first admitted to John Carroll just a little over 50 years ago, and women from that era have really been excited about this. It’s fun to see their excitement and to celebrate with them. And while it’s historic and inspiring, the work is important, too. It goes beyond just the symbolism.

READ MORE: Cleveland Universities Continue to Struggle with Online Learning

CM: What is your vision for the future of John Carroll?

CNS: The student experience is really important to me. My goal is to leverage the assets that we have at John Carroll for a best-in-class student experience. What our research shows is that students want something cohesive: linking their purpose, their academic learning in and out of the classroom, leveraging Cleveland, and a curated career launch. That’s why we’re launching a program called “Onward” — named for our fight song, “Onward On” — which is built around team-based advising, personalized plans, experiential learning, and what we call “the launch,” which is professional development from day one that helps students build skills, tell their story and prepare for whatever comes after graduation. Together, these four connected parts are coordinated to ensure that every student has a phenomenal outcome. You will not slip through the cracks here.

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