Jonathan Kaplan, who has served as president of Walden University since 2007, was named its CEO; succeeding him as president is Cynthia Baum—who was Walden’s executive vice president.
Walden University announced Wednesday that it has appointed Jonathan Kaplan as its new CEO. Kaplan, who served as president of the online university since 2007, will be succeeded by Cynthia Baum.
Walden said that both appointments are effective immediately.
Kaplan, who served as president since 2007, is now responsible for Minneapolis-based Walden’s strategic direction and overall performance. He will also take on an increased role with Laureate International Universities, Walden’s Baltimore-based parent company.
As president, Baum will be responsible for the overall day-to-day management, academic quality, financial performance, accreditation, and governance of Walden University. She most recently served as executive vice president at Walden and oversaw its five colleges. Prior to her role as executive vice president, Baum was vice president of both the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Health Sciences at Walden.
“Dr. Baum’s strong and seasoned leadership skills have made a tremendous impact on Walden University during the past few years,” Paula R. Singer, chair of Walden University’s board of directors, said in a statement. “She has made extraordinary contributions to Walden, and our entire university community will be well served by her commitment to learning outcomes and the university’s student-centered focus.”
Walden University was founded in 1970 to offer distance education programs to working adults. Today, it offers online bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in areas including business, accounting, health care management, and IT. It is Minnesota’s second-largest university based on the number of students enrolled, of whom there were 47,456 in fall 2010.
—Nataleeya Boss
(nboss@tcbmag.com)