American University announced Monday that its 16th president will be Jonathan Alger, a higher education policy scholar who has been president of James Madison University in Virginia for the past dozen years.

Alger, who goes by Jon, will step into the position July 1, when current AU President Sylvia Burwell departs after seven years of leading the private university in Northwest Washington.

American University, which has about 14,000 students attending, was chartered by Congress in 1893 and includes schools of law, public affairs and international service.

Burwell, who announced last summer she would leave at the end of this school year, was a nontraditional choice for the role. A former Obama administration official and Rhodes Scholar, she knew Washington and its power structures but did not have advanced degrees or academic leadership experience.

Alger, by contrast, arrives with a long track record in academia: Before his lengthy tenure leading JMU, he served as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers University, and while at the University of Michigan, he played a leading role in two landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases on race and admissions. He taught courses in leadership, law, higher education, public policy and diversity. He graduated from Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School.

In his 12 years at JMU, a public university of about 22,000 students in Harrisonburg, Va., Alger increased external research funding and doubled its endowment. Under Alger, JMU moved up to the highest level of college football. Alger created full-tuition scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college and launched the Madison Center for Civic Engagement.

“Jon Alger is known for his community engagement, deep commitment to scholarship and research, and passion for learning,” Gina Adams, an AU graduate who is chair of the university’s board of trustees, said in a statement Monday. “His vision for American University, his understanding of the unique attributes of a university community, and his proven ability to address the complex challenges facing higher education have prepared Jon to lead American University moving forward.”

Thomas W. Merrill, the chair of AU’s Faculty Senate this academic year, said he was pleased by the choice, in part because of Alger’s experience and in part because of public statements Alger has made in support of freedom of expression.

“Everybody knows that we’re in a moment, in higher education, of crisis and transition,” Merrill said, speaking of the national landscape. “Universities need leaders with a clear sense of the pitfalls and the dangers that are at hand. But we also need somebody who’s got a clear sense of the academic and civic mission of the university at its best. And my hope is that Alger is somebody with that vision.”

Several higher education leaders praised the choice for AU. Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said in a written statement that Alger “leads with compassion, transparency, integrity, authenticity, moral courage, and humor.”

“At a time when leading a university is more complex than ever, Jon brings a wealth of experience to the presidency, as a distinguished scholar of civil rights law and higher education; as a champion of academic freedom, shared governance, and access to excellence in higher education; and as a community builder,” Pasquerella said.

Some student government leaders at AU said they were still learning about Alger, with many students trying to find out more about his record. Edwin Santos, a senior from Woodbridge, Va., who is president of the student body, said he hopes the new president will center student concerns.

“Our campus has a really long history of students making change,” said Julia Comino, a junior from Mississippi and another student government leader.

AU has faced several significant challenges in recent years, including disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic; a staff strike in 2022; and tensions over the Israel-Gaza war, which have boiled over at many schools across the country. The university is also nearing the successful completion of a $500 million fundraising campaign.

Alger was not available for an interview Monday, according to a university spokeswoman. In a written statement, he said that AU’s “stellar academic profile and global impact reflect the unique and inspiring characteristics of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni.”

“Encouraging students to dream big is the heart of higher education,” he said, “and the opportunity to join American University is a dream come true for me and my family.”