To the shock of the Cabrini College student body, President Marie Angelella George sent out an email announcing her resignation on June 3, 2013. There’s no denying that the students of Cabrini admired the former president. This fact only makes the transition more surprising, confusing and even somewhat uncomfortable for some. Though many are still adjusting to her sudden departure with heavy hearts, the larger adjustment of searching for a new president for Cabrini weighs on the minds of everyone related to the college.
The process of looking for a new college president is much more intensive than many realize. The Board of Trustees gathers a selection committee made up of other faculty, staff and even students who fit the search criteria, such as our Student Body President. From there they then find a search firm who looks for potential candidates for the position based on what they believe the school is looking for. These candidates are flown from all over the country and each candidate will do numerous interviews, as well as tours to become familiar with the school and its different departments. It can be a very long process, especially when trying to match the candidates with the same values Cabrini holds. Our interim president, Deb Takes, despite being on the board of trustees prior to accepting the presidential position, will not be involved in the search process and depending on the length of the search, will potentially be in the position all year.
President George’s absence left the school a little rattled because of its abruptness. In addition to the President’s withdrawal, the week before her announcement came the notice of the elimination of 10 other employee positions. These positions were lost, combined or replaced. Cabrini was also not the only local college to lose its president this year. Both Arcadia University and Bryn Mawr College announced the losses of their Presidents earlier in the year, after relatively short tenures. These fluctuations in management are surprising and unusual for the Philadelphia area. All of this rouses questions such as: does the fear of lessening enrollment have anything to do with the longevity of a president? And what specifically is Cabrini looking for in a new president?
As a whole, it is completely possible that if a school’s enrollment falls it could have consequences on the job security of a president. This is an issue that may become more controversial in the near future since many expect college enrollment to fall. However in terms of Cabrini, our freshman class is the lowest in a long time, just 315 so that should not have been a factor in President George’s resignation. President George wrote that she left to “pursue other professional and academic interests,” and said it was a personal choice. Despite this, many are still curious about the sudden parting and a bit suspicious about the vague circumstances.
Regardless, the position is now vacant and looking for occupation. But not just anyone can fill space. They must match the school, students, values, mission and more. A person who pushes students to their fullest potential and asks them to explore both moral and ethical questions. A president dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development and a commitment to social justice. If Cabrini pushes its students to be extraordinary, we must have a president to match.
In the meantime, we are in more than capable hands with interim President Deb Takes. Her enthusiasm for the college and everything associated with it is easily visible to everyone she comes into contact with. We seem well represented until the day comes when a new president can call Cabrini home.
