<p>President Oden has announced his retirement at the end of this academic year.</p>
<p>How long has he been at Carleton?</p>
<p>Eight years. I’ll be sorry to see him go.</p>
<p>on behalf of the freshman class - we are SO bummed. almost everyone loves president oden, and it’s too bad we won’t have more than this year to get to know him.</p>
<p>Breakfast, the freshman class is not alone. His daily Arb runs, his fly fishing classes, his open door to students have made him a remarkably visible, accessible, and beloved president. </p>
<p>But he’s turning 64. His extended family lives almost 1,000 miles away. He’s headed Carleton for 8 years now (+ his 7 at Kenyon before that!). Retirement seemed inevitable. </p>
<p>And, all told, I think this is a good thing. The school will have little trouble recruiting great talent. And the coming of new fresh leadership with new ideas will be a great thing for the campus. </p>
<p>We all wish him well!</p>
<p>Maybe they will look at the president of Franklin & Marshall who has done a great job there.</p>
<p>Carleton seems to do a great job selecting presidents - the president before Oden, Steve Lewis, was equally beloved.</p>
<p>I’ve enjoyed his addresses to parents and appreciated how well he understood the students and character of Carleton</p>
<p>With Scott Bierman (our former Dean) leaving to take over Beloit’s presidency this year, it seems more likely we’ll be looking out of institution.</p>
<p>Don’t know from where the new president will hail - Oden came Dartmouth -> Kenyon -> Carleton, Lewis from Williams. Yet it may well not be from a LAC background. The new presidents at Haverford and Williams came from Penn and Hopkins, respectively.</p>