Snare to retire in 2020

“In my 13 years at Chadron State College, I have been fortunate to work with so many people who want to go far,” said Snare to the gathered CSC employees during the meeting. “I am eternally grateful for this journey with you. While there have been peaks and valleys your dedication, hard work, and humor have made this journey rewarding and delightful.”

Snare came to CSC in 2006 and was a Dean for six years. He served as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Teaching and Learning, and finally Dean of Liberal Arts. In January 2012, he was named the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs. In July of that year, his interim tag was removed.

“You want to put the institution in a better place when you leave then when you came, and I hope I did that. To retire now is the right time for both me and the college,” he said. “If I did my job properly, people won’t remember me two or three years down the road because they are taking the things we worked on together to the next level. It’s time for a fresh approach to come in and it’s a good time for Karen and me to be immersed in another life adventure.”

Snare’s primary role as the college’s senior academic administrator positioned him well to lead the college’s recent reaffirmation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC); the HLC visiting team noticed the campus wide pervasiveness of the collaborative approach. Snare has been involved with the institution’s strategic planning, orchestrating the Master Academic Plan (MAP) as the centerpiece of the college’s strategic plan, fostering a transformation of the King Library to a learning commons, and facilitating the development of the Teaching and Learning Center and Essential Studies Program. Snare also chaired many committees at the college dedicated to improving collaboration, communication, and leadership development.

“I had the opportunity to work with a lot of other people to make changes. The vast majority of the things we were able to accomplish have been driven by feedback from faculty and staff. I always tried to listen,” he said. “One of the most enjoyable things about working in administration is it’s like a puzzle. As an administrator you’re trying to find the pieces and connect them in a way that makes sense to people that creates a learning environment for people to grow.”

Chadron State College President Randy Rhine appreciates Snare’s impact at the college.

“I have enjoyed working with Charles. He provided great leadership across the entire campus, not just Academic Affairs. His work on the HLC process and the results we achieved in 2017 were exemplary,” Rhine said. “It is rare to be able to work with someone in a challenging environment such as higher education who is dedicated and focused on making the entire institution a better place. Charles has done that and we will miss him and his leadership.”

Rhine said a search for Snare’s replacement will begin soon.

Prior to CSC, Snare spent three years as assistant director for academic affairs at Matanuska Susitna College, one of the extended campuses of the University of Alaska Anchorage, located at Palmer, Alaska. Before working in Alaska, Snare, who served as the Editor of the International Journal of Peace Studies for approximately 15 years, was a tenured faculty member at Middle Georgia College.

Before he began his career in higher education, Snare also worked for private small businesses, a research firm in Washington DC in the area of political psychology, and a group home for juveniles. He said he learned a lot from these experiences that translated well to his later occupations.

Snare, a native of Ohio who now lives in Chadron with his wife, Karen, earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio, and his master’s and doctor’s degrees in political science from The Ohio State University.