By Rudy Soto

October 16, 2013

Twenty years is 240 months or 1040 weeks. Or 7,304.84 days.  Or 175,316.16 hours.  Or 10,518,969.6 minutes.  Or over 631,138,176 seconds.  Simply stated, 20 years is a long time to do anything.     

Despite being the first layperson to be president of the university, Carroll says she has received great support over the last 20 years from all ends of the administration and Dominican sisters.

“The sisters have been incredibly supportive of me in this role and I look at them as a second family to me,” she said.

There have been some major shifts while Carroll has been the head of the university, the most major in her eyes being the name change from Rosary College to Dominican University, a process which ended in 1997. Also under Carroll’s watch was the purchase of the Priory Campus in 2002 and three separate capital campaigns that have allowed the university to grow, two projects which have proved beneficial considering the school just celebrated its largest incoming freshmen class ever.

With a background in counseling psychology, Carroll believes the role of president was the perfect fit for her.

“This isn’t just a job, but a lifestyle for me,” Carroll said. “I truly believe that I am naturally in sync with the goals and the mission of the university.     

Twenty years is a lengthy period to be the head of an institution. While the years have passed, Carroll shows no sign of stopping just yet.

“Some people are sprinters and others are marathon runners. At first, I thought I might be a sprinter, but I’m glad I became a marathoner.  Dominican has something distinctly lovely about it; it’s a very special place.”

When asked about her future here, Carroll remains positive, saying that she doesn’t believe she’s reached the end of her marathon, or 26th mile just yet.          

“There are peaks and valleys over such a long tenure,” Carroll remarked.  “I’ve had the satisfaction of seeing the ebb and flow of the university as well as the satisfaction of actually seeing change while I’ve been here.  I’m proud to see the academic expansion of the institution as well as having the privilege to know and have hired most of the faculty that are here.”

During her tenure as president, Carroll has always relied on what she considers to be a strong mantra.

“I call it ‘the three C’s: Absorb chaos, give back calm, build confidence,” she said.

This mantra is what Carroll tries to live by when things get hectic and it certainly seems to be working, especially regarding some of her biggest challenges.

“[The biggest challenge is] financial, always financial,” she said. “We’re a healthy, not wealthy school. But, we continue to grow and see more students.  I enjoy strategic planning and fundraising.”

Carroll sees her presidency as a privilege to be a part of something “so good and so special,” and looks forward to enhancing the university even further in the future.