Elizabethtown College President Dr. Carl Strikwerda will retire June 30 after completing his second term as president. He began his tenure as the College’s 14th president in 2011.
Board of Trustees Chair Robert Dolan recalled his first impressions of Strikwerda when Strikwerda first joined the College.
“He’s a straight-shooter kind of guy, and very precise in his communications and his actions,” Dolan said. “And all of those proved to be true,” he added with a laugh.
As the chairman of the Board, Dolan serves as the “focal-point” of communication between the president and the trustees, so he has worked closely with Strikwerda throughout his time at Etown.
“Carl’s a man of extreme integrity, and I know that when I ask a question, I’m getting a straight answer,” Dolan said.
Over Strikwerda’s eight-year service at Etown, he has taken many initiatives to improve the College.
He improved the liberal arts education at Etown and expanded the number of academic programs offered, from adding new majors and programs, such as the physician assistant program, to building upon pre-existing departments like engineering.
He also created a focus on Signature Learning Experiences (SLEs), introduced prestigious scholarships and fellowships, oversaw the expansion of athletics and the switch to the Landmark Conference and finally saw the biggest addition to campus yet, the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being.
One of Strikwerda’s biggest accomplishments, as Dolan mentioned, is his fundraising. The “Be Inspired” campaign’s goal had to be adjusted twice because of its success.
Tuesday, April 30 it was announced that the “Be More Inspired” campaign had surpassed its goal of $60 million, with the most recent reporting being $61,463,569. The campaign does not conclude until 2020, so that number still has time to grow.
Strikwerda’s leadership has brought about many improvements to Etown, and he will be leaving a large legacy behind him.
What he said he will miss the most when he leaves, however, is the “special moments” he can have with students.
“Two of my favorites have been Induction and Emergent Scholars, because those are moments when you really have students’ attention in special ways,” Strikwerda said.
The Thanksgiving Dinner and the Tree-lighting ceremony are honorable mentions, as well.
“He’s pretty popular with the students, which is, I think, a really important thing for the president to be,” senior Elizabeth Matrisciano said.
While balancing his job as president, Strikwerda taught courses that students were able to take during the fall. Matrisciano and sophomore Caitlin Rossiter both had Strikwerda as a professor in different sections of his Peace and War in a Global World class.
“He made it really interesting, even if it wasn’t something that you would necessarily be interested in,” Matrisciano said.
She said one of the main points she took away from the class was how peace can be possible, but difficult to achieve.
“I really learned to question my own pre-existing beliefs,” Rossiter said. In how the class was set up, students had to write short essays weekly about difficult topics such as pacifism and just war theory.
Rossiter recalled how she had to “just pick one. No in-betweens. Pick one and say why. There’s no right or wrong answer.”
As such, she said these assignments made her reflect on her stances on certain issues and taught her how to adequately argue a point, and argue it concisely.
“I am extraordinarily proud of our students,” Strikwerda said. He described the students as appreciative, hardworking and responsible. “And it’s been impressive to work with Student Senate and the Etownian.”
Strikwerda also voiced his appreciation for the faculty and their dedication, scholarship and their selflessness.
“I consider myself a member of the faculty, and it’s been an honor to consider myself [a member],” he said. “One of the proudest titles I have is that I’m professor of history Emeritus … That means a lot.”
Strikwerda said he hopes the College can be proud of the work it has been able to do with the Lancaster County area, such as through the High Center for Family Business and his own service on the board of directors of the Lancaster County Economic Development Company.
The June 30 date approaches quickly, and Strikwerda said he is committed to do the best job he can before passing the baton over to the next president.
Once he retires, he and his wife Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Gail Bossenga will be staying in Washington D.C. before looking for someplace more permanent.
He also hopes to be able to present a manuscript to an editor by 2020 for a book drawing on all the articles he has written over the years.
Dolan said that there is one thing he will surely remember about Strikwerda after his departure.
“The thing that really sticks with me is seeing Carl in his hat, with his briefcase, walking from the President’s House to his office at such a pace that, were I with him, I would have to run to keep up,” Dolan said. “That’s how I’m gonna remember Carl.”
