The message below was sent to the Bryn Mawr community on July 13, 2018.
To the Bryn Mawr Community:
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to announce the reappointment of Kim Cassidy for a second five-year term as President of Bryn Mawr College. The new term will run from 2019-2024.
I thank everyone who participated in the Board’s review: what we heard from faculty, students, staff, and alumnae/i confirmed that Kim is an inclusive leader who has advanced a coherent vision for the College, both on campus and in the larger world. Every constituency noted and values her candor, her intellect, and her commitment to Bryn Mawr. I’ve outlined below some of the important accomplishments of Kim’s first term as president that were noted by the Board, faculty, staff, students, and alumnae/i.
Kim worked with the campus to develop a strategic direction, Excellence in Action, and the College, under Kim’s leadership, has made impressive progress implementing this vision. The impact of this vision is apparent across the campus. The College is receiving record numbers of applications and has created new policies and programs to ensure strong retention and graduation rates for all students. Faculty and staff are collaborating to foster curricular and pedagogical innovation that build upon core historical strengths and Bryn Mawr continues to be rated among the top liberal arts colleges for its support of research and percentage of faculty receiving prestigious awards. The College's graduate and postbaccalaureate programs are thriving. Students from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences have been remarkably successful in competing for academic positions, the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research is embarked on exciting changes in its programs, and the postbaccalaureate premedical program continues to rank among the top in the country. Bryn Mawr’s relationship with Haverford is vibrant, and we are forging new connections that enhance the excellence of both institutions.
Even while investing for the future, Kim has focused on financial sustainability through a transparent budgeting process designed to make necessary tradeoffs and to keep the College on solid financial footing. The Defy Expectation campaign is on target to meet its goal to raise more than $250 million by 2020, including a significant gift to complete the Park Science renovation, funding for four new faculty lines, added endowments for two existing faculty positions, and more than $26 million dollars for endowed scholarships. The College is financially strong, and investments have been and are being made to ensure Bryn Mawr’s continued academic excellence and to support the success of our students, faculty, and staff.
At the start of her presidency Kim set out several other ambitious goals and because of her personal efforts the visibility of the College is greater; alumnae/i are building more robust professional and personal networks; and importantly, Kim is bringing more joy to the work of the College with more opportunities for balance, celebration, and appreciation. Kim is committed to building an inclusive community for students, faculty, and staff. Under her leadership the campus has been working to move initiatives from conversation to action and the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan, a living document shaped through the efforts of the campus community, is evidence of Kim’s attention to this important work. The work for equity and inclusion on campus will continue to be an area of focus and energy for Kim’s next term.
This reappointment is a vote of confidence in Kim and her vision of Bryn Mawr as a diverse community in which students turn intellectual passions into lives of purpose. It is also a vote of confidence in the power of our community. Individually and together, you have helped to shape and realize this shared vision.
On behalf of the Board, I congratulate Kim and the community – and look with optimism to our shared future.
Sincerely,
Ann Logan
Chair, Board of Trustees