On Monday, Jan. 3 the Elizabethtown College campus community received an email from the Board of Trustees announcing that Cecilia McCormick was resigning as the College’s president after 2.5 years in the role. Her resignation was effective Dec. 31, 2021.
McCormick cited her desire to focus on her personal and family life as well as the unprecedented pressure and time commitments required by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am proud of the work we have done to keep our college community safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, like so many others among us, the pandemic has also reinforced for me the importance of prioritizing what’s most important in our lives. As we start a new year, and with the college on strong footing, I believe this is the right decision for me and my family,” McCormick said in a statement.
The Board went on to say that Vice-Chair Michael Spangler will lead the next national presidential search process, expecting it to take several months to complete. The email ended with a commitment to a smooth transition, transparency and updates to the community as they develop.
After the announcement, the Jays App exploded as students reacted to the news. Several made jokes about running for president while others posted custom memes, garnering dozens of likes and comments.
Over two weeks later, on Tuesday, Jan. 18 the Board sent another email to the Etown community announcing Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs (SVPAA) Dr. Betty Rider as the College’s transitional president. Rider’s new role is effective immediately.
From a faculty perspective, Rider was prepared for the presidential role, as the faculty handbook states that the Provost-SVPAA would act as president in the president’s absence, including a resignation. She had previously attended events on McCormick’s behalf.
Rider expects to stay in the role for the next 18 months through this semester and the 2022-2023 academic year. She explained that the presidential search process will take much longer than six months, so the Board would not appoint a new president for Fall 2022. In addition, an institution would not hire in the middle of the academic year, so the committee is looking to hire for Fall 2023.
Despite being the “transitional” president, Rider maintains the same responsibilities as a permanent president. She will continue to work with the Senior Leadership Team and implement the Etown community’s five-year Strategic Plan.
“We wanted to go with the title of transitional president rather than interim president to show that I’m not just keeping the seat warm. The Board, the Senior Leadership Team and I will continue moving forward with launching the plan,” Rider said in an interview.
Rider plans to meet with the Board sometime in February to review progress and discuss if anyone wants to tweak the strategic plan.
The Board also named Vice President of Finance and Strategy Gerald “Jerry” Silberman as Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance. Rider was satisfied with this development, and she praised Silberman’s work regarding budgeting and finance while on the Senior Leadership Team. But Silberman’s promotion and Rider’s new role now leaves their former positions vacant, and she confirmed that another transition plan needs to be figured out.
Another new development is that Dean of Students and Executive Director for College Diversity, Equity and Belonging Nichole Gonzalez has joined the Senior Leadership Team.
“I’m very pleased that Nichole is now included on the team. She will provide important perspectives from student life, which I already witnessed during this morning’s meeting, as we work to implement the five-year strategic plan,” Rider said.
Regarding the presidential search committee, Rider explained that it is still too early in the process to have determined who exactly will be part of it. However, she guaranteed that students, faculty, staff and alumni “will have a voice” during the process. The College’s Leadership Council will act as a sounding board and provide advice throughout the process.
After a new president is chosen, Rider mused that she had a few possibilities for her future. Even though she has been out of the classroom for a long time, she is considering returning to teach psychology here at Etown. But she wants to keep her future open-ended for now.
“I couldn’t imagine working or teaching anywhere else but Etown. I’ve been at the College for over 30 years because the students and employees are just great,” she declared.
