DE PERE—St. Norbert College President Brian Bruess will be leaving to become the inaugural president of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota on July 1, St. Norbert announced today.
Former St. Norbert College president Thomas Kunkel will return as president on an interim basis for one year.
Bruess, a 1990 graduate of St. Norbert, became the eighth president of the college in 2017. Since his arrival, he has guided St. Norbert to record new-student enrollment, including growing a more diverse student population, the college said. Bruess also strongly focused on student retention; inspired new academic offerings and partnerships like pathways for post-baccalaureate programs in health care; and led the college through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bruess previously served in various leadership roles at St. Catherine University (St. Kate’s) in the Twin Cities.
Incoming Interim President Kunkel spent nine years as president at St. Norbert College, retiring in 2017. During his tenure at St. Norbert, Kunkel oversaw the construction and renovation of more than $140 million in campus facilities and infrastructure.
A former journalist, Kunkel is the author of seven books, the most recent of which is a biography of the college’s namesake and patron, Saint Norbert of Xanten, titled “Man on Fire: The Life and Spirit of Norbert of Xanten.”
