Keeping Focus on What’s Important

Janet Morgan Riggs '77 will officially be inaugurated as president on September 12, but we thought we would share in advance some of her thoughts about being president and her goals and aspirations for the College. Judith Lindquist, senior writer at Gettysburg, caught up with Riggs for a few moments to ask the questions.

Q. Did you find anything particularly surprising during your role as interim president?
A. There were definitely some pleasant surprises. First, I found that I loved the variety of my schedule, especially the opportunity to travel and visit with alumni, parents, and other friends of the College. I also really enjoyed the wide variety of Gettysburg College-related issues that I found myself engaged with every day. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that I seemed to have more opportunity for interaction with students than when I was Provost — and that was a big plus. 

Q. What was particularly challenging?
A. The economic context provided a serious challenge during my first semester as interim president, and it continues to be a challenge. In many ways it’s an unfortunate time to begin a presidency. As a new president you want to create some new initiatives and some new excitement on campus. That’s particularly challenging to do when you’re cutting a budget. My challenge will be to create that excitement and those new opportunities despite the difficult financial climate.

Q. Was there anything specific that motivated you to seek the permanent position?
A. I had a sudden realization that there were a number of people who thought I was the right person for this job at this time. That stunned me, because I really hadn’t thought about continuing in this role into the future. Then I had to make a decision. I had been nominated for the permanent position, which was very flattering, but should I apply? I finally decided that I would be happier applying than not and that I really should leave it to the search committee to make a decision about whether I was the best candidate for this role at Gettysburg.

Q. What do you love most about Gettysburg College?
A. There’s no question about this one. I love the people and the sense of community. I walk across this campus and I feel like I’m at home. 

Q. If you returned to Gettysburg as a first-year student today, what would you study and why?
A. The majors I chose, psychology and mathematics, served me well both as a graduate student and in my career as a faculty member, so I have no regrets about that choice. In fact, I would suggest that a strong grounding in psychology and quantitative skills is excellent academic preparation for a presidency! But there is one thing that I would do now that I didn’t do as a student, and that is to study abroad. Enhancing one’s global perspective is a critical aspect of a contemporary liberal arts education. It wasn’t something that was emphasized much at the time I was a student.

Q. If there were only one thing you could accomplish during your tenure as president, what would it be?
A. It’s difficult to think in terms of one thing! Building the resources to support Gettysburg College is certainly crucial. We must increase our endowment, and we must enhance the habit of annual giving among our alumni. It’s also important that Gettysburg College be recognized more widely for its superb academic experience. We offer one of the very best undergraduate experiences in the country, but there are many people out there who simply don’t know that. Raising resources and enhancing our academic reputation are both things that I would like to accomplish.