Kentucky Wesleyan President Dr. James Cousins didn’t always envision himself becoming a college president. Now, after 1 year at the helm of KWC, he is guiding the college through a new era — one focused on growth, resilience, and expanding opportunity in Owensboro and across higher education.
Cousins grew up in suburban Philadelphia, in a town called Havertown along the city’s Main Line. After graduating from Ohio State University, he began his professional journey as a high school teacher, later accepting a role teaching history and Latin at Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky.
“While I was teaching, I wanted to advance and just improve as a teacher,” Cousins said.
That desire led him to the University of Kentucky for graduate study in history. Though he originally intended to stop at a master’s degree, he quickly fell in love with the scholarship. His first faculty appointment came at Western Michigan University, where he quickly rose through administrative ranks to associate dean.
“I really loved administration and saw how influential a position like that could be,” he said. “My attraction was really in how I could help the faculty do more and advocate for faculty, and also improve the learning environment for students.”
That commitment eventually led him back to Kentucky. His wife is from Georgetown, and Cousins had always kept one foot in the state — particularly through his research on Kentucky’s academic history.
When a position opened at Kentucky Wesleyan in 2021, Cousins saw it as the perfect fit.
“I always kept a lookout for opportunities to come back — to where my wife is from, and to a Methodist institution where I thought I could really do what I set out to do in administration: advocate for faculty and students, and build a culture of academic success,” he said.
Cousins initially joined KWC as provost, then known as dean of the college. Three years later, as President Thomas Mitzel prepared to step down, Cousins was asked to serve as interim — a role that soon became permanent.
One of his top priorities in his first year was moving Kentucky Wesleyan toward a more sustainable future. Like many small colleges, KWC faces the financial and demographic headwinds reshaping the landscape of higher education.
Cousins acknowledges the past few years have not been without challenges. As provost, he was part of a difficult period that included some program cuts.
“My biggest concern during that time was how to best take care of the students who came in with hopes of participating in Division II athletics,” he said. “It wasn’t about navigating it from an institutional or external position—that wasn’t my job. My job was to take care of the students.”
For those who chose to leave, Cousins said the college worked hard to support their transition. For those who stayed, he said it was important to reinforce the institution’s commitment to their academic journey.
“In a sea of bad, there was some good that came out of it. Some of those students continued on and graduated this past year. That was really rewarding to see,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for continued healing and trust-building within the campus community.
“It takes time for campuses to fully recover from cuts. Headlines don’t capture the residual effects,” he said. “We’re still living with those effects, and we have to restore confidence in our collective vision and identity.”
Cousins also noted that there are already signs of growth. Under his leadership, the college has launched a new Master of Business Administration program that will begin this fall.
“That will be transformational for the college,” he said. “Most institutions of our size generate the majority of their revenue from graduate enrollment. This allows us to achieve financial stability while growing at the same time.”
Online programming is another area of emphasis. Kentucky Wesleyan already has a small online undergraduate program focused on degree completers — adults with some college credit but no degree. It’s a growing population both nationally and locally.
“By expanding our online presence, we can serve real needs here, graduate more of a workforce, attract new companies, and raise standards of living,” Cousins said.
A third priority for Cousins is enhancing campus life through added amenities and partnerships.
“It’s a good time to be on campus,” he said. “During the summer, we host camps, conferences, and organizations like Phantom Regiment and the United Methodist Annual Conference. And of course, we have a great relationship with Owensboro Catholic, sharing Steele Stadium. It’s worked out well for both institutions.”
Through it all, Cousins remains committed to listening, learning, and adapting.
“You always have to be learning. You can’t rest on your laurels,” he said. “The average tenure of a college president is five years. But institutions don’t thrive with presidential turnover. The institutions that really exhibit the kind of stability and growth trajectory that Kentucky Wesleyan deserves and warrants have presidents of long standing. That’s my goal here, is to stay as long as I’m useful. We love it here. I love its history and its potential.”
