Derek Langhauser appointed president of MCCS

Derek Langhauser

AUGUSTA, ME – The Board of Trustees of the Maine Community College System (MCCS) today voted unanimously to appoint Derek Langhauser to serve as the next president of the seven-college system. Langhauser has served as interim MCCS president since February 2015.

In making the announcement, Robert Clark, chair of the MCCS Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee, noted: “From the start of his service as interim president, the Board has recognized and been deeply grateful for the strength of President Langhauser’s leadership. Nevertheless, we were committed to conducting a full and impartial national search in order to ensure that we identified the right person to lead the System into the future. We are confident that we have achieved that goal. Derek brings to the position an impressive combination of leadership skills, deep knowledge of our colleges, commitment to our mission, and proven ability to work with Maine leaders and MCCS colleagues to move the System forward.”

Langhauser first joined the MCCS in 1994 and has served as its general counsel for over 20 years. During his 13 months as interim president, he secured new legislative and philanthropic support for the state’s community colleges; entered into new contracts with all six of the MCCS collective bargaining units; advanced the System’s strategic focus on student success; and was instrumental in the creation of the Higher Education Coordinating Committee to ensure greater collaboration with the University of Maine System.

A nationally recognized expert in higher education law, he has served as president of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, as an advisor to the Ford Foundation Initiative on Academic Freedom, and as chair of The Journal of College and University Law Board of Editors (The University of Notre Dame). He is a member of both the Council and Executive Committee of the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law.

A graduate of Bates College and the University of Maine School of Law, President Langhauser resides in Cumberland Foreside with his wife and daughter. He follows long-time MCCS President John Fitzsimmons who led the development of the state’s community colleges and served as president for 25 years before stepping down in February 2015.

The Maine Community College System is Maine’s comprehensive two-year college system with a total enrollment of 17,500 students. Additional information about the MCCS and its seven colleges is available at www.mccs.me.edu.

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