January 28 2009

To: Members of the Gettysburg College Community
Cc: Board of Trustees

From: Bob C. Duelks ’77, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and Trustee

Date:  January 28, 2009

Subject: Town Hall Meeting Update

Dear Members of the Gettysburg College Community:

I want to thank you for attending today’s Town Hall meeting with members of the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) who were on campus. It is apparent that we all understand what an important decision this is for Gettysburg, especially considering the challenging times that we, and all of higher education, are facing. Selecting the right president is something that all of us take extremely seriously.

Here are some of the facts I shared at the Town Hall meeting:

• The Committee broadly represented the Gettysburg community and included four faculty members, nine trustees, an administrator and parent, and a student.
• We were guided in our work by the charge that was provided by the Board of Trustees last summer as well as the helpful information provided by our various constituencies whom we met with last summer and fall in different geographic regions.
• We were served throughout the process by a highly respected search firm, Storbeck/Pimentel, which brought forth an impressive list of candidates for the PSC’s review.
• We reviewed 122 applications and we found the depth of the applicant pool to be very impressive.
• The applicants included 13 college or university presidents, 21 provosts or chief academic officers, 22 deans, 30 others in higher education, and 36 non-traditional candidates.
• The PSC interviewed 12 semi-finalists in December. We chose six candidates from that field, and three finalists were interviewed in January.
• The PSC and Storbeck/Pimentel carried out due diligence in checking references throughout the search process.

Most of the questions you had for us today were raised during our deliberations over these past six months. Time and again, we returned to the detailed charge given to us by the Board of Trustees. In doing so, we thoroughly reviewed not just CV’s, writings, references and interviews, but also the personal characteristics that are important and valued by our institution. There was one candidate who rose head and shoulders above the rest in all of those criteria, and we are especially proud that she is one of our own.

The PSC is presenting interim president and former provost Dr. Janet Morgan Riggs ’77 to the campus community as the sole finalist in this process.

In the minds of the search committee, Dr. Riggs embodies the characteristics we sought in keeping with our charge. Not only did she stand out among the national candidates, but we had the extraordinary opportunity to observe firsthand how she would conduct herself in this very important role. We firmly believe that she understands the College’s mission and is capable of implementing the College’s strategic direction with great skill and enthusiasm. She has been trained and tested.

Aside from the standard characteristics that call for a leader with vision and strong fundraising abilities, Dr. Rigg’s personal characteristics cannot be underestimated. She is imbued with integrity, authenticity, commitment to academic excellence and a passion for Gettysburg College that will serve her well from day one. As many of you know, she graduated from Gettysburg College in 1977 with highest honors and a double major in math and psychology. With the fine academic credentials that her undergraduate work at Gettysburg provided her, she went on to earn her master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton University.

Over the quarter century that Janet has been associated professionally and personally with her alma mater she has gained a very close view of Gettysburg from multiple angles. She has been a highly regarded faculty member, a department chair and the recipient of prestigious teaching honors. She has also held a number of administrative posts including interim provost, provost, executive assistant to the president and interim president. Her full biography appears below.

While it was certainly the PSC’s intent to present more than one candidate to the community, we wanted to be straightforward and ethical throughout this process. It became clear to all of us that no one could come close to embodying the qualities and experience of Janet Morgan Riggs. It was determined by an enthusiastic and unanimous vote that she would be our top, and only, finalist. We believed it would be insincere to the community and to the other finalists and their families to invite more than one candidate to campus when we all felt so strongly that our most qualified candidate was among us.

We have invited Dr. Riggs to participate in two fully open on-campus forums tomorrow, Thursday, January 29. There will be two different sessions in order to make the forums accessible to as many members of our campus community as possible. You may select between 10 to 11 a.m. in CUB 260 and 2 to 3 p.m. in the Mara Auditorium. 

In addition, Dr. Riggs will attend a special meeting of the faculty from 4 to 5 p.m. in Mara Auditorium. This last session is reserved solely for faculty.

Each of these sessions will begin with Dr. Riggs sharing her vision for Gettysburg College, after which she will take questions from the community.

There will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback after each of the sessions, which will be shared with the Board of Trustees, who make the final decision. Or, if you prefer, you may send your comments directly to presidentialsearch@gettysburg.edu. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important process. 

Sincerely,
Bob Duelks ‘77

Please find below a profile of Dr. Riggs’ experience. Comprehensive resumes are available in Human Resources on the first floor of Penn Hall. Please visit the HR Office if you wish to obtain a copy.

Profile:
Janet Morgan Riggs has served Gettysburg College in a variety of faculty and administrative roles for 27 years. Since March 2008 she has served as Interim President. Prior to that appointment she served as provost for one year, after having served as interim provost in 2006-07 and in 1995-96.  Dr. Riggs was also executive assistant to the president under President Gordon Haaland from 1991 to 1994.  
 
After graduating summa cum laude from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in psychology and mathematics, Dr. Riggs received her M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from Princeton University. She began her academic career as an instructor in psychology at Gettysburg College where she was promoted through the ranks to professor of psychology. She has also served as chair of the psychology department. Dr. Riggs has taught courses in experimental methods, social psychology and general psychology.
 
Dr. Riggs has successfully combined a successful teaching career with active scholarship in her field of social psychology. Her research interests include expectancy confirmation, gender role stereotypes, and attributions for behavior. She has published numerous articles on her research and currently serves as consulting editor for the Psychology of Women Quarterly.
 
Dr. Riggs is the recipient of the Gettysburg College Student Senate Faculty Appreciation Award, the Thompson Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Gettysburg College Woman of Distinction Award.