Dear faculty, staff, and students,
This week I informed the Gettysburg College Board of Trustees of my plans to retire from the College presidency following the 2018-19 academic year. I announced this decision earlier today at our final faculty meeting of the year, and I wanted all of you to be aware of my plans as well.
As many of you know, I wear my passion for Gettysburg College on my sleeve, and that will always be the case! However, the time has come for me personally to embrace a new phase of my life. Ed and I are looking forward to tackling a long “bucket list” that we have placed on hold for the last few years.
There will be many opportunities to share reflections over the next year. However, I simply want to note now that it has been a tremendous honor to lead this remarkable community over the last ten years. I have been moved by the dedication of our faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends who provide and support an exceptional education for our students. And our students inspire me every day—with their intelligence, enthusiasm, sense of social responsibility, and propensity to take action. There is no question that they will lead lives of impact, as professionals and as citizens. They give me great confidence in our future.
The Board of Trustees will soon launch a national search for my successor and will keep the College community informed about the process as it unfolds. I am confident that we will attract a superb leader to guide Gettysburg College into the future, and I stand ready to do all I can to support a smooth transition.
In the meantime, I will continue to be engaged fully as your president until my retirement in June 2019. We have much still to accomplish together over the coming year!
Sincerely,
Janet Morgan Riggs ’77
President