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Mills President Janet L. Holmgren Announces Transition Plan for New College President
Oakland, CA—February 22, 2010. (Revised 2/23/2010) Read the FAQs Janet L. Holmgren, President of Mills College, announced today that she will not seek renewal of her appointment as President beyond June 30, 2011. That date will culminate 20 years of transformative leadership under Holmgren, which has propelled Mills into one of the most respected and successful liberal arts colleges in the United States. Inaugurated in 1991 as the 11th President of Mills College, Holmgren’s tenure is exceeded by only one President in the College’s 158-year history. "During her 20-year tenure, President Holmgren has created a national model for women's education while simultaneously increasing educational opportunities for a diverse pool of talented women and men. Generations of students to come will benefit from her thoughtful, strategic, and creative leadership that has positioned Mills as one of the leading women's colleges in the country with an impressive roster of innovative coed graduate programs," said Kathleen J. Burke, Chair of the Mills College Board of Trustees. "I am passionate about Mills and all that we have collectively accomplished over the last two decades. As I approached my 20th year as President of this incredible institution, I felt that the time was right for me to continue Mills’ legacy of innovation and change by making way for the next generation. I will return to teaching at Mills, writing, and pursuing new avenues for women’s leadership," said Holmgren. Just one year before Holmgren's appointment in 1991, the Board of Trustees responded to the strong protests of alumnae, students, and faculty to the possibility that Mills become coeducational by reaffirming the College's mission of educating women at the undergraduate level. Holmgren was charged with leading the College during this watershed moment in the College’s history and tasked with building Mills into a financially sound institution focused on women’s education in the 21st century. In 2010 as the College celebrates the 20th anniversary of the recommitment to women’s education, Holmgren's impact on Mills is clear. Combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment has increased from 1,044 in 1991 to 1,510 today, with the College currently receiving the highest number of applications in Mills’ history. Holmgren has been a strong proponent of expanding graduate and post-baccalaureate education at Mills, working with the Board and the faculty to develop innovative programs in business, education, and public policy while expanding programs in the fine arts, humanities, and sciences. In addition to increasing enrollment while simultaneously elevating the academic profile of the College, President Holmgren has been a staunch advocate for educational access and diversity. The College is considered one of the most diverse selective liberal arts colleges in the nation with a population of 39% undergraduate students of color and 25% faculty of color, compared with 21% students of color and 5% faculty of color in 1991. A highly effective fundraiser, Holmgren has enabled Mills to grow its endowment to $175M, raising $18.2M for fiscal year 2008–09. In the College’s most recent capital campaign, ending in 2004, the College exceeded its $100M goal by $32M resulting in a total of $132M. Additionally, more than $100M of capital improvements have occurred in the last decade alone, including facilities to house the School of Education (offering Mills’ first doctoral degree) and two environmentally sustainable facilities—the Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business. Demonstrating her leadership across all aspects of the College’s work, Holmgren was an early adopter of the American College and Universities’ Climate Commitment and has included sustainability as a key tenet of Mills’ current strategic plan while integrating environmental responsibility into the campus’ core values. These efforts have earned Mills a rating as one of the greenest colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. A well-known and respected leader in higher education for over 30 years, Janet L. Holmgren will leave the College an academically excellent and fiscally sound institution with an international reputation for outstanding faculty, high-performing students, and leading-edge programs. A 2006 recipient of the Chief Executive Officer Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Holmgren was also named one of the "Bay Area’s Most Influential Women in Business" by the San Francisco Business Times in 2009 and 2008. She has served as Board Chair for the American Council on Education, the Women’s College Coalition, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the National Council for Research on Women. Holmgren is currently on the Boards of the Carnegie Foundation and Princeton University, where she serves as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. "I am deeply grateful to the Mills College Board of Trustees for this amazing opportunity to lead and support the College. I am very proud of our collective energy and vision. Mills is a strong, diverse community committed to intellectual growth and social justice. I look forward to partnering with the Board and the Mills community as we enter this transitional phase and continue to envision Mills' extraordinary future," noted President Holmgren in a letter to the Board of Trustees. A Presidential Search Committee, with representation from Trustees, faculty, students, staff, and alumnae, will be formed to identify a successor. During the next 16 months, Holmgren will work with all campus constituencies and the Board to ensure continued gains in enrollment growth, fundraising success, and a smooth leadership transition. About Mills College |
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