Former President Rebecca Chopp was sometimes criticized on campus and on CC for being aloof and feckless. Upon her arrival at Swarthmore, President Valerie Smith showed quickly that she is certainly not aloof. Recently, she demonstrated that she is not feckless either. See the following link: http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2016/03/16/valerie-smith-and-tom-spock-a-response-to-mountain-justice/ The comments are also interesting. (I believe that climate change is one of the greatest threats we face, along with nuclear proliferation; the question is how best to approach the problem.)
As an (active) alum, I have met both President Smith and President Chopp. There is no question in my mind that President Smith is a far more effective leader. Far.