President Brian C. Mitchell announces 2010 as final year
President Brian C. Mitchell, above, has been the President of the University for the past five years
When Brian C. Mitchell first took office he said in his inaugural address that he accepted the "resposibility with great enthusiasm, genuine humility, and a sense of exceptional promise..." On June 24th, 2009, five years later, President Mitchell, at 56 years old, announced the decision to step down as president, effective June 30, 2010.
In the announcement of his decision, Mitchell said that while he and wife Maryjane "contemplate our next steps in life" his "focus is on being president through the remainder of this academic year. I do want whatever I do next to focus on education because that is my passion." No definitive plans for the following year have been announced.
Mitchell accomplished many goals while at the University. Most noteworthy, perhaps, is his "Plan for Bucknell," described by Judge Susan Crawford '69, Chair of the Board of Trustees, as "the most far-reaching campus master plan since the early 1930s," in her letter to the campus community.
"[Mitchell] inspired the University to launch a $400 million comprehensive campaign that has secured more than $130 million in less than two years, including the most state and federal funding Bucknell has ever secured, more than $17 million," said Crawford. Some of his other accomplishments included strengthening of University academic programs through converting the teaching load from six courses to five courses per year and reducing the student-faculty ratio to 11:1. He also hired more than 40 new tenure-track faculty, assisted in the successful re-accreditation of the College of Engineering, and oversaw the establishment of a new core curriculum.
Reactions to Mitchell's announcement varied. Stephen Prentiss, a member of the Parents Board, was both "surprised and really disappointed" when he heard that Mitchell was stepping down. "He always had such great ideas. He had great perspective and great plans," he said.
Former BSG President Harry Kastenbaum '09, whose parents serve as Board of Trustee Vice Presidents, said that he was "surprised to hear about the President's departure." He described his interactions with Mitchell as "overwhelming positive," and said even when the two disagreed on issues Mitchell "wanted to understand my, and the student, perspective."
News of Mitchell's departure did not arrive as a bolt out of the blue for everyone. Professor of Geography & Environmental studies Ben Marsh, who formerly served as Chair of the Committee on Planning and Budget, said he "was not surprised to see his [President Mitchell's] tenure end. The official announcement indicated only that this was his last year, not who had initiated the separation. If he were retiring, we'd've heard that specifically."
Marsh singled out Mitchell's spending habits as a sore spot. "No one has ever wasted so much of the University's money," he said. "The outcome of his extravagant fiscal policies is that we are now one of the most expensive colleges in the nation."
Mitchell himself reflected on two memories of his time on campus stand out as favorites in Mitchell's mind: "Seeing the look on students' eyes when they get their degrees at Commencement right before I shake their hands, and shaking the hands of the faculty honored at the annual faculty tenure and promotion dinner because they are the future of this University, of their professions, and of this country," Mitchell said.
