Goddard College in Plainfield announced Thursday that President Barbara Vacarr will step down at the end of this year.
In a news release from the college board of trustees, Vacarr expressed her need to focus on her family. She will help prepare the college for her successor, the release said.
Goddard College President Barbara Vacarr will step down on Dec. 31, 2013.
Vacarr took over as president in 2010 after a career as a leader in developing innovative programs for adult learners, the release said.
Vacarr’s tenure at Goddard has been rocky at times. A February story in Seven Days highlighted faculty opposition to some of Vacarr’s efforts to ‘corporatize’the liberal arts school.
According to Seven Days, ‘faculty members complained that teachers haven’t had enough input into the restructuring of various academic programs at Goddard and alleged a ‘pattern of unilateral decision making’at the college.’There were also complaints about Vacarr’s opposition of a union-organizing effort on campus.
In Thursday’s news release, Vacarr said, ‘In this challenging time of national economic and enrollment concerns for higher education, I remain focused on the issues paramount to Goddard’s mission. However, I have concluded that I must also pay more attention to the personal challenges facing close family members. Therefore, I look forward to working with the Board in leaving the College moving ahead. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead such a wonderful institution.’
The release goes on to quote board chair Andrea Lebron-Clay, ‘Barbara has been tireless in facing the demands of the presidency, whether it has been fundraising in these difficult times or facing the dramatic changes coming in higher education. We are appreciative of her service and wish her and her family all the best for future health and happiness.’
The release cited Vacarr’s accomplishments, including the launch of an undergraduate program on the West Coast, the implementation of a diversification plan of revenue and instituting a marketing outreach program to improve Goddard’s visibility in the higher education community.
vtdigger.org 7.25.2013