Office of the President

Brooke Barnett is the 16th president of Rollins College. She took office on July 1, 2025, after serving as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Butler University. In that role, Barnett provided strategic leadership for all academic programs and student success initiatives across undergraduate, graduate, and online platforms, with a particular focus on student belonging and success, faculty development, and innovative learning experiences. She also served as a key member of the university’s executive cabinet and as second-in-command to the president. Prior to serving as provost, Barnett was dean of Butler’s College of Communication.

At Butler, Barnett championed a number of transformational efforts, including the launch of a two-year college to increase access to higher education, efforts to create a more robust institutional innovation infrastructure, and the introduction of a comprehensive first-year experience. She worked closely with faculty to establish the Center for Faculty Excellence and with faculty and staff to create a more seamless student experience across academic and student affairs. She oversaw expanded graduate and adult education offerings and led successful fundraising integration in academic affairs.

Before her time at Butler, Barnett spent nearly two decades at Elon University, where she served in several senior leadership roles focused on academic and inclusive excellence. As associate provost and a member of the president’s senior cabinet, she and colleagues created the nationally recognized Center for Access and Success, which helps students from all backgrounds succeed in pre-K through graduate school.

Barnett began her career as a journalist and media producer. She later earned her PhD and became a tenured full professor teaching courses in media law and ethics, visual communication, and documentary film, and led the faculty governing body. An award-winning educator and widely published scholar, she has authored or co-authored six books and more than 40 articles in academic journals and mass media.

Barnett earned a BA in English and communication studies from Georgetown College and an MA in journalism and a PhD in mass communication from Indiana University. She is a nationally recognized voice in higher education and has served on numerous boards and advisory councils, including the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Higher Education Resource Services (HERS), and the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness Leadership Council.