Hillsdale Academy will welcome Assistant Headmaster Mike Roberts as its new headmaster on July 1, 2022, replacing David Diener after four years in the position.
“Mike Roberts is more prepared than anybody could be to run that school,” said Kenneth Calvert, former headmaster of the Academy, professor of history, and director of the Oxford program at Hillsdale College.
Beginning Jan. 1, Roberts received some of the responsibilities as headmaster in order to best prepare him for the transition.
After graduating from the college in 1998, Roberts joined the Academy in 2002 as assistant headmaster and athletic director.
“He has been part of the college, and here at the Academy for 20 years,” Calvert said. “He knows what the school is about and what its influence is.”
Roberts said the new position surprised him, but he is grateful to serve the school in this capacity.
“I am glad to help the school in whatever maximizes carrying out its mission,” Roberts said.
The motto of Hillsdale academy is virtus et sapientiae: virtue and wisdom.
“Everything we do at the Academy is striving toward cultivating our students into people of virtue through classical education,” said David Diener, current headmaster at the Academy until the end of the 2022 spring semester. “We provide an academically excellent classical Christian education.”
Calvert spoke of the headmaster’s primary role in upholding this mission.
“The headmaster is the one who sets the tone and who establishes the culture of the school,” Calvert said. “He has to make sure that every decision he makes begins with considering the mission of the school.”
Calvert also spoke of the need for a headmaster to surround himself with other faculty who will continue to carry out and support the mission.
“Hiring people is your most important expression of what your mission is and Mike Roberts has done exactly what he needs to do,” Calvert said. “He has hired exactly the right people to uphold the mission. That’s job one and everything comes out of that.”
Roberts said one of the main challenges he will face will be continuing to maintain the culture of the school as it expands.
“We are at a point where the culture and education of the school is excellent,” Roberts said. “The challenge is gauging the appropriate amount of growth.”
Calvert said another challenge will be balancing the greater presence of the Academy at the national level while still maintaining the key principles upon which the school was founded.
“The more famous you are, the easier it is to become jaded,” Calvert said.
Diener said being a headmaster requires commitment to the mission of the school and the problem-solving skills Roberts models.
“As a headmaster, you need to have an understanding of the students,” Calvert said. “You need to be able to walk down the hall, see a face, and know who it is.”
Roberts will oversee teachers and disciplinary measures at the Academy, as well as work in conjunction with the classical school initiative led by Assistant Provost for K-12 Education Kathleen O’Toole.
“The headmaster is the face of the Academy for the surrounding school communities,” Calvert said.
Diener pointed out Robert’s leadership at the Academy.
“Mike Roberts is one of the best administrators that I’ve had the privilege of working with over my 11 years in classical school administration,” Diener said. “He has been an integral part of the development of HIllsdale Academy over the past several years, and will continue to lead it well in the future.”
Diener said Roberts is capable, well-respected, and trusted by the entire Academy community.
“I look forward to this last semester as the headmaster and have full confidence in Mike Roberts’ abilities as I pass off some of the responsibilities to him,” Diener said.
Roberts spoke to the quality of not only the education and faculty, but also the families at the school. He said having such a strong community surrounding him will help him to continue to grow the school in this new role.
“I am overjoyed for him,” Calvert said. “I am overjoyed for Dr. Diener to come out to the education department. There is nothing bad about this transition. It is wonderful.”