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President Daniel H. Weiss sent the following message to the campus community today:
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of my decision to complete my service as president at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year. On July 1, 2013, after eight years of service at Lafayette, I will assume the presidency of Haverford College. My family and I value deeply our years at Lafayette and in the Easton community. We could not have asked for a more warm or welcoming environment in which to live. Although my decision was not an easy one, I believe that the time is right for Lafayette to transition to new leadership to continue the great progress we have made in advancing our strategic objectives for the College.
I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished together, especially in light of the extraordinary economic challenges we have all faced following the recession of 2008. Among other achievements, we were able to increase the size of the faculty by more than 10%, implement a new Common Course of Study, and advance major new initiatives in the arts, global studies, life and environmental sciences, and engineering. With the support of generous donors, we have made significant new investments in academic, residential, and athletic facilities, and on our campus. We have also engaged in a comprehensive review of our residential life programs in order to strengthen our commitment to an outstanding living and learning environment for all students. I am especially proud of the strong partnership we have built with the City of Easton, which in my view is a model of enlightened town-gown relations. As a result of these efforts and others, we have made outstanding progress in increasing the visibility of the College for prospective students and their families, the higher education community, and the public. Interest in the College, as measured by applications for admission, alumni giving, foundation support, and community involvement in our programs, has never been greater. This work would not have been possible without the strong and coordinated commitment of the Board, the Faculty, our staff, students, and alumni.
The Board and I are committed to maintaining our progress in these strategic areas, and I am confident that the transition in leadership can be managed to ensure that this progress continues. We will have much to do in the year ahead, including the design and construction of the Oechsle Center for Global Education and the Williams Arts Campus, continued progress in faculty hiring, further planning for the new biology building as the first phase of the Center for the Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, and continued work on our comprehensive residential life initiative.
I remain deeply committed to the mission of liberal arts colleges and believe that, collectively, they will play a vital role in responding to the significant issues that lie ahead for American higher education. While my work at Haverford will offer me new opportunities and challenges, my commitment to the purpose and values of liberal education will continue.
I am grateful to so many of you for your steadfast support of Lafayette and for your friendship. I look forward to thanking you personally and to continuing our work together in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Daniel H. Weiss
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