Jim Dlugos has been appointed the fifth president of the Putney-based Landmark College, the first college in the nation specifically designed to serve neurodiverse students, the college announced on Monday.
Dlugos was named interim president of Landmark College in July, after a decades-long career in postsecondary education, including an 11-year role as president of St. Joseph’s College in Maine.
Dlugos said he welcomed the opportunity to help Landmark College during a transition period and now in a permanent capacity because the mission of the college aligned with his individualized, learner-centered approach to education.
Barbara Epifanio, the chair of Landmark College’s board of trustees, said in a written statement that the board realized during the search process that Dlugos had the “right vision and demeanor” for the position.
“As we’ve gotten to know Jim as Interim President, and he’s gotten to know us, we came to realize there was an ideal fit for his experiences and the opportunities our institution presents,” Epifanio wrote.
Landmark College, founded in 1985, offers six bachelor degree programs and five associate degree programs and serves approximately 500 students with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or executive function challenges.
With Dlugos at the helm for most of the past year, the college moved forward on several initiatives, such as adding three majors in history, health sciences and media arts production next fall, he said.
“At a time when most news from colleges and universities is about closing programs or shutting programs down, the fact that Landmark is adding programs is a really positive sign about our future,” Dlugos said.
In January, Landmark College was named the primary recipient of a federal National Science Foundation grant geared toward bolstering educational and professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math in the southern Vermont region. Dlugos said the grant is moving forward, and the college is in the hiring and strategic planning phase of implementing projects made possible by the grant.
“It’ll allow us to develop infrastructure for research, and research is the backbone of emerging businesses,” Dlugos said. “It’s really about economic development and strengthening the economy in southern Vermont, and so it’s going to end up with tremendous benefits for everyone who lives in southern Vermont.”
Josh Moyse, associate professor of theater arts and the faculty senate chair, called Dlugos a “visionary and creative thinker” who engages in a holistic way with faculty to help steward the institution. The college was originally established as a certificate and tutoring program and began offering four-year degrees more than a decade ago, he said.
“Our student profile has continued to evolve over these decades, and what that means is that we are often transitioning to new territory from within,” Moyse said. “Jim brings a wealth of experience in higher ed that is beyond Landmark and is able to see certain areas that we can simplify that may have become a little bit more cumbersome, which allows us to be more nimble as we move forward.”
Grace Nelson, the president of the Student Government Association, said Dlugos has maintained an open dialogue with students and considered student perspectives during his stint as interim president and that she is grateful that Dlugos will remain the leader of Landmark College.
“He’s done a lot of things that have improved some of my experiences with the school,” Nelson said. “With certain meetings, he’s changed some of the formats to make it more of an open conversation.”
Nelson also pointed to weekly emails Dlugos sends out about national affairs and the potential impacts for Landmark to engage students, faculty and staff. “It’s more easily accessible for us and puts it in context,” she said.
Last fall, the college acquired the defunct Windham College’s former gymnasium and field house building and is beginning renovations to transform the space into a “college community hub,” according to Dlugos.
“Part of my hope for Landmark over the next number of years is that we become clear in our advocacy, developing neuro-inclusive communities, and part of that is having neuro-inclusive spaces,” Dlugos said. “The renovations really are going to be aimed at creating spaces that are going to be the best possible for people to learn differently, and the reality is we all learn differently.”
Along with creating inclusive learning and gathering areas, Dlugos said one of his goals as president is to develop a strategic plan in the coming year to foster ongoing engagement with the school’s neighbors and the broader community.
“We’re looking to really develop and strengthen our relationships with Putney and with the rest of Windham County,” Dlugos said. “I really want Landmark College to be seen as an anchor institution in Windham County, and so it’s important that we plan for the future, that we know what is important and on the mind of everyone in the area.”
