In an email to the Dickinson community this Monday, President Nancy Roseman announced “with mixed emotions” that she will resign from the college, effective June 30.

“It is an ideal time for the college to bring in a new president to lead these pivotal projects,” Roseman said in the email, referring to the current strategic plan and fundraising campaign. “And it is an ideal time for me to pursue other professional and personal goals.” In the same email, Jennifer Reynolds ’77, chair of the college’s Board of Trustees, announced that Provost Neil Weissman will serve as interim president, effective July 1. Reynolds expressed “gratitude for [Roseman’s] significant accomplishments” on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Reynolds said these accomplishments include the enrollment of the college’s largest first year class, increases in alumni programming and a new strategic planning process.

Roseman succeeded former President William Durden ’71, who  ended his 14-year tenure, as the 28th president on July 1, 2013. The college’s first woman president, Roseman came to Dickinson from Williams College, where she joined the biology department in 1991, and later held administrative positions in the president’s office and as a dean.

Roseman had just passed 1,000 days in office when she announced her resignation.

“The news totally caught me by surprise,” said Matt McFarland ’05. “When a college president leaves after only three years, something is amiss.” He said he expected the college “will move forward stronger and find the right person to lead the institution.”

Chris Mudd ’73 noted the recent string of resignations by administrators and faculty, including Michael Monahan, former executive director of the Center for Global Studies and Engagement, and the contentious departure of Crispin Sartwell, associate professor of philosophy.

“This is the second or third resignation reported by The Dickinsonian in the past two months – one faculty involving the threat of a law suit and two administrative staff positions,” Mudd said. “What is going on in Carlisle?”

Leo Davelman ’03 said that learning of Roseman’s resignation was “a definite WTF moment…..A lack of continuity and an apparent lack of commitment at the highest level reflect poorly on Dickinson and certainly dampens momentum.”

Students speculated about the difficulty of succeeding former president Durden.

Roseman “had a lot to live up to” following Durden, remarked Emmy Weaver ’17. “However, many of us feel that she fell flat in establishing a presence on campus..”

Tyler Hanson ’16 agreed that Roseman  “had some of the biggest shoes to fill” in following  Durden. However, he says he was  “shocked that she resigned at the time she did.”

Other students think the Dickinson community was too critical of Roseman’s presidency.

“I’m sad,” said Michael Daniel ’17. “She was never really given a chance to do anything impactful because the students found every opportunity to point out what she was doing wrong instead of fueling her to do something great.”

Morgan Bates ’18 said that she built a personal connection with Roseman after attending one of her open office hours last year. Bates said that the two “bonded over [a] love of music. Since then, she has attended numerous concerts and events of mine. She always takes a moment to talk to me afterwards or write an email to share her thoughts.”

Bates says that many students seemed “to have no interest in accepting her as a member of this community.” Bates says she is disappointed Roseman resigned but mostly disappointed  “over the students’ unwillingness to get to know her as a person.”

Members of the senior class, who were on campus for the last year of Durden’s presidency, said that Roseman’s short tenure leaves a feeling of instability.

“I just think that with getting a new president three years ago and then getting a new one again, it kind of fragments the current class that’s here, and they don’t have the full experience where the president can see them develop as a class,” said Julia Dolinger ’16.  “It also hurts us as seniors because we know the person sending us off into the world isn’t really a part of Dickinson anymore [and] that’s kind of awkward.”

Paige Hamilton ’17 says she is “anxious to think I might graduate with a president I hardly know.” She noted that Weissman has been at Dickinson for 41 years  and says she is  “confident he will maintain stability and I’ll be able to part ways knowing this is still the place I’ve grown to love.”