The Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities has named Eric Fulcomer as its next president and chief executive officer.
Fulcomer, currently president of Rockford Unviersity, will take over the top role at WAICU in mid-December. Rolf Wegenke, the current president and CEO of WAICU, announced plans in late 2021 to retire this year. At the time, a leadership transition was expected to take place in July or August.
Wegenke has led WAICU since 1992.
Fulcomer is a long-time university administrator. He has been president of Rockford University since July 2016 and has been at the school since 2013. Prior to Rockford, Fulcomer spent nearly two decades in various roles at Bluffton University in Ohio.
He holds a bachelor degree from Eastern Michigan University, MA from Bowling Green State University and PhD from the University of Toledo.
“I look forward to continuing WAICU’s mission of ‘Working together for educational opportunity,’ with a focus on student financial aid at both the state and federal levels,” Fulcomer said. “I have often said that one of the greatest joys of being a university president is helping students achieve their dreams. I believe serving as President and CEO of WAICU will allow me to help students throughout the state of Wisconsin, at each of the 23 WAICU-member schools, to achieve their dreams through advocating for independent higher education, providing scholarship support, and helping institutions save resources that can be reinvested into students on their campuses.”
Michael Lovell, the chair of the WAICU board and president of Marquette University, described Fulcomer as “a dynamic and creative leader.”
“The strategic and community-based approach that Eric demonstrated as president of Rockford University will serve WAICU well, especially as we look to develop new and innovative partnerships with the private sector, institutions of higher education, and the government,” Lovell said We would like to thank Rolf Wegenke for his thirty-year tenure leading WAICU and are grateful to have found such a strong candidate to lead WAICU into its next chapter.”
