{"id":16893,"date":"2022-10-17T10:21:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T14:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/?p=16893&preview=true&preview_id=16893"},"modified":"2024-04-30T13:56:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T17:56:57","slug":"anne-houtman-inaugurated-as-earlham-colleges-first-woman-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/news-events\/anne-houtman-inaugurated-as-earlham-colleges-first-woman-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Anne Houtman inaugurated as Earlham College\u2019s first woman president"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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After years of delay due to a global pandemic, Anne Houtman was inaugurated as the 20th<\/sup> president\u2014and first woman president\u2014of Earlham College on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony’s delay, however, gave her the opportunity describe both her vision for the future and also how she has implemented her plans for Earlham\u2019s long-term success since arriving in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHigher education is experiencing challenging times,\u201d Houtman said of the declining college-going rate across the nation during a 90-minute ceremony on Earlham’s campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is sad about that is there are ample studies to show that college graduates are happier and make more money than non-graduates,\u201d she said. \u201cOn top of that, college graduates pay more taxes, vote at a higher rate, are twice as likely to volunteer and are almost four times as likely to donate to charity. So higher education is both a clear private good as a well a powerful public good. College lifts up its students, it lifts up their families and it lifts up their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houtman\u2019s strategic priorities have taken aim at increasing access to an Earlham education through curricular innovation, new scholarships and the development of a summer pre-college experience for high school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWidening the path means reaching out to more students, and more diverse students, who are ready for the unique living and learning opportunity that Earlham offers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlham\u2019s efforts to \u201cwiden the path\u201d have resulted in a compelling value proposition for students in Earlham\u2019s own backyard, including the INspire Earlham<\/a> program, a tuition waiver for Indiana students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds, and the Heartland Scholarship,<\/a> which is an additional $2,000 annual scholarship for all students living within a three-hour drive of campus. New academic programs have been launched or are in the works to meet the interests of today\u2019s students, including engineering<\/a>, business<\/a>, accounting<\/a>, and four new concentrations in computer science<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe strongly that we grow where we are planted,\u201d Houtman said. \u201cOur roots are deep in Indiana, in Richmond and Wayne County. We need to ensure that Earlham is a good neighbor in welcoming and educating students in our own backyard. At the same time, we must maintain our national and international reputation as a leading liberal arts college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI believe strongly that we grow where we are planted. Our roots are deep in Indiana, in Richmond and Wayne County. We need to ensure that Earlham is a good neighbor in welcoming and educating students in our own backyard. At the same time, we must maintain our national and international reputation as a leading liberal arts college.\u201d <\/em><\/p>President Anne Houtman<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Houtman also announced the public launch of For Good: The Campaign for Earlham College<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/em> This $85 million comprehensive campaign will support the long-term sustainability of Houtman\u2019s institutional priorities, along with increasing enrollment, enriching the student experience and expanding the College\u2019s signature student success initiative, the Epic Journey<\/a><\/strong>. The Epic Journey combines Earlham\u2019s national reputation for excellence in classroom teaching with access to funding for students to participate in research, internships, global study, or other career-discerning experiences before graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have been educating students from across the country and around the world for a very long time,\u201d Houtman said. \u201cAfter this period of unprecedented societal upheaval, we are uniquely prepared to educate a generation that demands more of a college education than a good job and a big paycheck. We help students become who they want to become\u2013someone who changes the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View the video of Anne Houtman’s speech and view photos from the day<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Media contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Brian Zimmerman<\/strong>
Assistant vice president of strategic communications
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Email: zimmebr@earlham.edu
Phone: 765.983.1256<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n