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Visionary higher education leader Dr Paul LeBlanc awarded honorary doctorate by Coventry University
Visionary higher education leader Dr Paul LeBlanc awarded honorary doctorate
University news
Tuesday 18 November 2025
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Coventry University has awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education to Dr Paul LeBlanc, recognising his outstanding contribution to transforming access to higher education and his leadership in online learning and educational innovation.
Born into a French-speaking Canadian family and raised in the United States, Dr LeBlanc was the first in his extended family to attend university. His academic journey took him from Framingham State University to Boston College, and then to the University of Massachusetts, where he completed a PhD in English Literature, an experience that he says shaped his lifelong belief in the power of education to change lives.
I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised by Coventry University, a university I’ve long admired for its mission, innovation and the communities it serves. Being honoured is incredible for both me and my family.
Dr Paul LeBlanc
A leading thinker on the role of artificial intelligence in education, Dr LeBlanc advocates for using technology to expand opportunity, reduce costs, and empower learners to take control of their educational and professional futures.
As we move into a new era shaped by AI and global change, universities must keep students at the very heart of all we do. We must remind ourselves to love our students. We need to make sure that they are seen, that they are understood, that we build our programmes to work for them rather than working for us.
It is important to take the time to deeply understand what students need in their education, because as the world evolves our educational offerings have to evolve too.
Dr Paul LeBlanc
After an early career in publishing and policy, Dr LeBlanc became President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) in 2003, when it had fewer than 3,000 students. Under his visionary leadership, SNHU grew into the largest non-profit provider of higher education in the United States, serving more than 225,000 learners worldwide by 2024. He transformed a small New England university into a global model for online and affordable learning, focused on flexibility, accessibility and strong student support.
Dr LeBlanc has also shaped education policy as Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education, championing accreditation reform and competency-based learning. His influence extends globally through initiatives delivering education to refugee camps and underserved communities.
Presenting the award, Coventry University Provost, Professor Ian Dunn, described Dr LeBlanc as “a changemaker, a thought leader, and above all, a thoroughly decent human being — one who believes, as we do, that education is a force for good”.
Dr LeBlanc’s leadership exemplifies the values that drive Coventry University - innovation, inclusion and transformation through education. His work has expanded opportunity for hundreds of thousands of learners and continues to inspire how we think about the future of higher education.
Professor Ian Dunn
Find out more about graduation ceremonies at Coventry University.
