Captain Francis McDonald

Services

• Retention and Recruitment Assessment
• Ongoing Retention and Recruitment Partnerships

Types of Institutions

• Four-year military/regimented

• Two-year military/regimented

• Maritime colleges

Capt. Francis McDonald currently serves as Vice President of Operations at Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. In his previous role as Dean of Enrollment Management at MMA, Capt. McDonald led the college through its largest growth period in its 100 year history. Over the time span of five-years, the institution enjoyed a student population explosion of 150%. During that same period, first-year retention rose to 82% and the college’s six-year graduation rate climbed five percentage points.

Leveraging the expertise provided by Teresa Farnum and Associates, Capt. McDonald built a campus- wide retention program that incorporated Student Life, the Corps of Cadets, faculty, and many supporting departments such as Health Services and Athletics.

Capt. McDonald completed his Bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, earned his Master's in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and most recently completed his Doctorate degree in Law and Policy at Northeastern University. As testament to his commitment to improving the student experience, Dr. McDonald completed his doctoral dissertation on under-prepared students’ success at MMA.