Capella University hires a new president
Minneapolis-based online education company Capella University has hired a new president.
Scott Kinney replaces interim president Deborah Bushway. Bushway took over for Larry Isaak, who left the position last spring after only a few months on the job.
Kinney, an executive at Thomson Reuters, takes over the top spot as for-profit colleges face greater scrutiny of their business practices and threats of stricter regulations from Washington.
"I don't know that changes in regulations will harm Capella or hurt them or be neutral," Kinney said. "I do think it's an area though that will change quite a bit and one where Capella will be very close to the evolution of those laws and regulations."
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Capella University has about 35,000 students enrolled in its online programs.
The company laid off dozens of workers over the past year, a move that coincided with a dip in student enrollment.
Kinney plans to work on retaining the students Capella already has.
"That's as least as important and probably more important than the raw number of students that enroll for the first time," he said.