Morty leaving

<p>letter students received this morning:</p>

<p>To the Williams Community,</p>

<p>Upon the completion next summer of my ninth year as Williams president, I
will be leaving to become president of Northwestern University.</p>

<p>This was not an easy decision for my family and me to make. Twenty of my
thirty years in academe have been spent at Williams and I've loved virtually
every minute. The past nine as president have been the greatest honor and
privilege of my professional life. But with the completion of our
comprehensive campaign this month and my strong feeling that institutions
need new leadership every decade or so, I think the timing is right.</p>

<p>There's much I still hope to do in these intervening months to help steer
this place I love so deeply. Most importantly, with the support of the Board
of Trustees, we are putting in place a financial plan that will assure that
our college will be in a position to provide an exceptional educational
experience for future students despite the current financial turmoil.
Williams will emerge from the present challenges with its values intact and
positioned to recapture its momentum.</p>

<p>Mimi and I have made many close friends at Williams -- students, faculty,
staff, alumni, and parents -- and we hope that you will remain in our lives.
When you visit us in Evanston, feel free to wear your traditional purple, a
color that both institutions proudly share.</p>

<p>All the best,</p>

<p>Morty</p>

<p>Morton Owen Schapiro
Professor and President
Williams College</p>

<p>Following is a letter from Greg Avis, Chairman of the Executive Committee of
the Board of Trustees:</p>

<p>To the Williams Community,</p>

<p>On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I congratulate Morty on his appointment
as President of Northwestern. The University could not have chosen a more
deserving and accomplished leader. While we will be very sad to see them
depart the Purple Valley, we are deeply excited for Morty, Mimi, and their
family as they anticipate and prepare for their next adventure.</p>

<p>We deeply appreciate the outstanding leadership Morty has provided Williams
in his nine years as President. By any measure, Williams is better
positioned today because of initiatives he has expertly led. Expansion of
the faculty, reduced class size, and a substantial increase in the number of
tutorials have improved the quality of the classroom experience. Rapid
expansion of financial aid and other steps have greatly increased access and
affordability. Nearly 40 percent of the Class of 2012 is composed of
international students and U.S. students of color. Roughly 50 percent of the
class receives Williams-based aid. In addition, the College¹s infrastructure
has been transformed. The ¹62 Center for Theatre and Dance, the Paresky
Center, and the North and South Academic Buildings are among the most
visible of many projects. The Williams Campaign surpassed its $400 million
goal last year and in its final weeks is approaching $500 million.</p>

<p>These accomplishments have been made possible by the passion, energy, and
brilliance Morty has brought to the presidency. He is perpetually visible at
academic, cultural, social, and athletic events on campus and travels the
world tirelessly to speak to alumni groups. A highly respected voice on the
national higher education scene, he has remained committed to teaching in
the Williams classroom. He and Mimi have hosted tens of thousands of guests
at their home, and Morty still finds time, and genuinely enjoys, attending
snacks with students on Sunday nights. Morty loves and always will love
Williams College and its people, an affection that is surely returned.</p>

<p>Morty remains devoted in the coming months to dealing with the issues and
opportunities Williams faces. Most notable, as with all colleges and
universities, is the financial challenge presented by the decline in
endowment value and a struggling economy. We are fortunate that Morty has
assembled a group of highly able senior administrators who, along with the
faculty and staff, are working creatively to respond. The College¹s first
steps have been timely and appropriate, but the situation will likely
require additional, thoughtful initiatives.</p>

<p>At a special meeting last night held by telephone, the Board authorized the
forming of a Presidential Search Committee. I have been selected as chair, a
responsibility I accept with humility and care commensurate with the
importance of the task. I will begin immediately to assemble a committee of
trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni and will keep you informed
about this process as it advances. Given the attractiveness of the position,
I am confident of our finding the person best able to lead Williams through
the next chapter of its great history.</p>

<p>Thanks largely to Morty¹s leadership, the College is in an excellent
position to make a smooth transition over the coming year. I know you will
join me in wishing Morty and Mimi the very best as they trade the purple of
Williams for the purple of Northwestern. We will have ample occasion over
the coming months to extend those wishes and the enormous gratitude we have
for all that they have done for Williams.</p>

<p>Sincerely,
Greg Avis '80
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees</p>

<p>Northwestern University & the Northshore area of the Chicago suburbs are heaven! Chicago is, in my opinion, the best major city in America. Northwestern is doing well with respect to increased applications (over 25,000 last year) & endowment growth over the past decade.</p>

<p>Wow. I am sorry for Williams - although Morty has done a fabulous job in his time at Williams - but very excited for Northwestern (which my younger son attends).</p>

<p>My son is also at Northwestern; it is a bit surprising, as well as refreshing, that the selection did not come from Princeton University, however.</p>

<p>..Nearly 40 percent of the Class of 2012 is composed of
international students and U.S. students of color...</p>

<p>Why is it now that a large measure of excellence at our top institutions is how many colored and international students can be admitted? I don't understand how that makes for a better and stronger American. I guess all we need to solve our problems is more diversity - is that it? Is this also part of the reason tuition cost are now $40-50k each year so those that have can pay to educate international students?</p>

<p>Global perspectives, global economies & inclusive societies. Most internationals pay full tuition. If this isn't your cup of tea, then there are colleges & universities that offer a more homogenized & provincial student body. Besides, the world is probably made up of over 90% internationals & people of color.</p>

<p>I heard Pres. Schapiro speak at our last Commencement in Middletown. He seemed very likeable (he actually gave the second best speech after Obama's, IMO.) Nine years is a good run. :)</p>

<p>That sucks</p>

<p>"I don't understand how that makes for a better and stronger American. I guess all we need to solve our problems is more diversity - is that it? Is this also part of the reason tuition cost are now $40-50k each year so those that have can pay to educate international students?"</p>

<p>This comment smacks of a certain sort of ignorance not only of the shifting ethnic composition of the united states but of student finances as well. Many students of color, in case you thought it impossible, do pay full tuition. Some of these students are, of course, aid recepients, but a sizable portion of students of color pay Williams's $52,000 coa.</p>

<p>In addition, every student at Williams, unless your parents write million dollar checks, receives some sort of financial aid, as the true cost of attending these sorts of schools runs about $80,000/year. Lastly, most international students pay full, or nearly full, tuition, as they tend to be the wealthier sort. Unless you count CDE students, but then again, I know for a fact CDE students don't receive financial aid.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, colleges think long-term when they set diversity initiatives, and for good reason as they must adapt to a changing America.</p>

<p>To add to rl.hill's and coldwind's comments about the value of a diverse student body . . . . I believe that a diverse student body is important in and of itself, as it benefits all students to live and learn among students who are not just like themselves. </p>

<p>I also think that when a sizable percentage of the student body is made up of students of color, that benefits Williams in another important way in that it attracts even more strong applicants of color and increases the chances that those students will enroll if admitted. A college that is perceived as very homogeneous may tend to lose applicants who might otherwise have been interested in the college but fear (reasonably or not) that it would not be a welcoming place for them. If Williams has increased the percentage of students of color who attend, that can only help to attract other strong applicants of color. In my view, the more highly qualified applicants there are, the stronger the admitted class over all will be, and one hopes, the enrolling class.</p>

<p>


</p>

<p>I think there still may have been a Princeton influence. The chairman of Northwestern's board of trustees, Patrick Ryan, had gone through former Princeton president William Bowen, in getting Northwestern's current president Henry Bienen. Bowen also was quoted following the selection of Schapiro which possibly implies some involvement with Morty's selection as well:</p>

<p>Bowen concerning Bienen from the Northwestern Magazine
The</a> Bienen Years, Winter 2008, Northwestern Magazine :</p>

<p>In some ways the clincher in hiring Bienen came from William G. Bowen, former Princeton president and later president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Ryan telephoned Bowen, knowing he had written widely on the elements of successful leadership, especially for nonprofit institutions.</p>

<p>“Henry is a leap-forward person,” Bowen said in a recent interview. When Ryan explained their hopes for the next Northwestern president, Bowen insisted Bienen was tailor-made for the position. “Some institutions don’t welcome aggressiveness,” Bowen said. “But at Northwestern the table was set.”</p>

<p>Bowen on Schapiro
Northwestern's</a> New President :</p>

<p>"He is a very unusual person in that he has deep experience in research universities and at one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. And he has demonstrated accomplishments as a great teacher and an outstanding leader."</p>

<p>Shoot, I didn't even see the email. Meh, Morty leaves, we'll just get another president. The only thing is, Morty was pretty personal and informal most of the time. I hope the next guy (or maybe girl?) will be as relaxed as he was when interacting with students.</p>