Photo: Paula Groff
Over this past semester, there have been many new changes happening at Elizabethtown College. One of the most noticeable changes on campus has been the construction of the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being. Anyone who walks by the construction site can see the changes that have occurred since the beginning of the semester as the building starts to take shape.
The most recent update to this project was the addition of concrete. This began at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20 and concluded the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 21. As next semester progresses, work on the building will continue.
When the project is completed, it will be an additional space for sports teams to practice and for intramurals to take place. E-fit group classes will also take place in the new building.
Besides working to promote physical health, this new addition to campus will support mental health. The new Bowers Center will include spaces for counseling as well as spaces for small groups of students to meet. This project is expected to be completed by fall 2019.
Another change taking place has been the search for the next president of Etown. The Presidential Search Committee, along with the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, have been working hard to find the candidate who will be the best fit for the College. In the beginning of the process, Witt/Kieffer received over 100 applications.
In the beginning of October, the first round of interviews with the top ten candidates was conducted. The finalists from this round will have more interviews to determine the candidates’ communication skills, work methods, new ideas and problem-solving skills.
The candidates wish to have this process remain confidential, and the committee and everyone else involved is honoring their requests. For the last part of the process, the committee will be involving other key people to help select the next president.
They will be choosing faculty, staff, students and alumni to help them make the most informed decision possible. In an email sent out by the committee, presidential search committee chair Ed Lovelidge ’86 was quoted saying that the applicants are “excellent in quality and diversity” and that he was “extremely impressed” with the discussions between the committee and the candidates so far.
The search committee is comprised of some of the College’s trustees as well as faculty and staff representatives. The members of the committee are Lovelidge, Rick Baker, professor of biology Dr. Jane Cavender, chair of the Board of Trustees Robert Dolan, trustee Jim Fritz ’84, trustee David Fuchs, trustee Pete Kershaw ’75, trustee Velma Redmond, Chaplain and Religious Life Director Dr. Tracy Wenger-Sadd and chair of the English and communications departments Dr. Matt Skillen.
The opinions of those connected to Etown are important to the selection process. Anyone who would like to contribute their ideas of what qualities are important for the next president can email their opinions to PresidentialSearch@etown.edu or EtownPres@wittkieffer.com.
The committee will continue to send out emails and announcements about their progress. The announcement of the next president is projected to occur in the beginning of 2019.
