Warrick L. Carter

From 1996 to 2000 Carter was director of entertainment arts for Walt Disney Entertainment. He managed "internship programs, education and performance opportunities" for college students at all Disney parks.[3] He was responsible for a budget of $40 million.[1]

Carter was the president of Columbia College Chicago from 2000 to 2013. He was the first African-American president of the college.[5] During his tenure, Columbia College became "the South Loop's largest nongovernmental property owner",[6] the first new building construction in the history of the college occurred,[7] a $100 million fundraising campaign began and enrollment rose by 25% to a peak of 12,500.[8]

After 2008, enrollment began to decline. In March 2012, in the midst of falling enrollment rates[6][9] and pressure to lower tuition costs,[10] during a State of the College address a homeless student[11] brought into question Carter's six-figure[12][13][14] salary to which Carter replied, "Don't blame me because you are [homeless] [...] I am very sorry you are homeless. We will do everything we can to support you. We will do what we can. Our tuition has to be based on what our expenses are. My salary has nothing to do with it."[15][16] In 2012 to address budget issues, Carter proposed ending cinema studies within the film and video departments saying, "The department should carefully consider the ongoing role of Cinema Studies, including the possibility of eliminating it. Although I understand the department's argument for retaining it as a generalist degree, I remain skeptical of its value to student learning and to the department."[17] By July he had decided to maintain the program.[18]

The Chicago Jazz Ensemble and the Center for Black Music Research were considered for closure during this same time period. Carter was quoted by the Chicago Tribune about the potential closures, "[The Chicago Jazz Ensemble] had been an integral part of the music department upon its founding, but it had kind of moved away from the department over the years. So clearly what we're saying is that whatever dollars we spend on any of these institutes or centers are tuition dollars, so students should be able to take advantage and/or benefit from their presence here on campus ... And one of the ways that I thought would be best to do that would be to make them more closely related to the centers by placing them … within the instructional program."[19]

Carter retired in 2013,[20] a year before his contract expired.[21]