Leadership Transition Announced

President Nancy A. Roseman to resign effective June 30

Dickinson President Nancy A. Roseman announced that she will be resigning effective June 30. Provost and Dean Neil Weissman will serve as interim president as the Board of Trustees launches a national search for President Roseman’s successor. Board member Jim Chambers ’78 will chair the Presidential Search Committee, which will include trustees, faculty, staff and students. 

In the message announcing her resignation, Roseman thanked Dickinson community members for their work during her tenure and noted that she is leaving the college in a strong position as Dickinson begins the search for its next president.

"I will leave Dickinson bolstered by the knowledge that the board has a first-rate interim president to steward the transition—and an incredible foundation for the next person fortunate enough to be selected as Dickinson’s president," she said.

Roseman's message to the community announcing her retirement and Board Chair Jennifer Ward Reynolds '77's message on the transition process are reproduced below: 

To the Dickinson Community:

During these past three years, I have grown to love Dickinson and its unwavering commitment to prepare young people, through our useful approach to a liberal-arts education, to be engaged citizens in service to our communities.

So it is with mixed emotions that I inform you that I will be resigning as president of Dickinson College, effective June 30.

I leave Dickinson knowing we are a leader among our peers. We are enjoying record applications for enrollment, we employ an expert faculty and staff passionate about our mission, and we have built a strong financial foundation for our future.

As we develop our strategic plan, which will help inform our upcoming fundraising campaign, I realize that this time provides a natural moment of transition. It is an ideal time for the college to bring in a new president to lead these pivotal projects. And it is an ideal time for me to pursue other professional and personal goals.

As I have reflected on my presidency, which just recently surpassed 1,000 days, I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished. One of my key goals as president was to reinvent student life by putting into place systems that would facilitate student success and ultimately increase the college’s graduation rate. By creating a new system of layered support for our students, involving guidance and mentorship from the entire community, we have already seen positive results in terms of an increased first-to-second year retention rate.

When traveling across the country meeting with alumni and parents, I have been so inspired by their passion for the college and how it has transformed their lives and the lives of their children. They are quick to attribute their success to their Dickinson education and experience, and I know these alumni and parents are poised and ready to help the college achieve its well-placed aspirations as outlined in the developing strategic plan.

I will leave Dickinson bolstered by the knowledge that the board has a first-rate interim president to steward the transition—and an incredible foundation for the next person fortunate enough to be selected as Dickinson’s president.

Lori and I will treasure the fond memories we have gathered here. Thank you all for the work you have done and the efforts you have made to move Dickinson forward. I look forward to speaking with many of you in the months ahead, and I am especially eager to see the great things Dickinson accomplishes in the future.

Nancy A. Roseman
President and Professor of Biology

To the Dickinson Community:

The Board of Trustees has accepted President Roseman’s resignation, with respect for her thoughtful decision and gratitude for her significant accomplishments.

The trustees intend to name Provost and Dean Neil Weissman as our interim president, effective July 1. In the meantime, we will launch a national search for President Roseman’s successor.

During President Roseman’s tenure, Dickinson welcomed the largest first-year class in our history; more funding was allocated for important academic research; the college’s approach to student life was transformed, with greater support for students in and out of the classroom; additional programming for our alumni was made available regionally and online; rigorous fiscal discipline fostered a strong and sound balance sheet for the institution; and, importantly, a campus-wide strategic planning process has been launched.

Dickinson College remains a national leader in residential liberal-arts education. We attract the best and brightest students. And we are confident our presidential search will attract the best and brightest candidates.

To a person, the board believes Provost Weissman is ideally suited to lead our beloved college in the interim period between President Roseman’s departure and a new president’s selection. He is a trusted and respected leader, and his 41 years of service to Dickinson position him well to continue the college’s momentum until a successor is named.

Trustee Jim Chambers ’78 has agreed to chair our Presidential Search Committee. The committee will include trustees, faculty, staff and students. We will share more information on the search as it progresses.

On behalf of all of the trustees, I thank Nancy for her efforts on behalf of Dickinson. We wish Nancy and Lori nothing but the best as they prepare to move on to their next endeavors. And we see nothing but the best ahead for Dickinson. Our confidence in our college, its mission and its future never has been greater.

Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77
Chair, Board of Trustees
 

Published April 11, 2016