After serving as president of the college for 10 years, Peter Mitchell will be leaving his position in June. In an e-mail interview, Mitchell reflected on his time at the college, starting when he was a student.

President Mitchell: The basic quality of an Albion College education—personalized attention in an intellectually challenging environment driven by excellent faculty who are teachers and scholars—fortunately remains the same. In my era, we had required chapel and stricter social regulations, but that reflected the times.

Today, spiritual life is more student-driven and social life is more eclectic, but students still find opportunities for holistic development—academic, social, spiritual and professional.

Probably the biggest difference is the incredible volunteerism in the community, and that is a very good thing. On balance, the Albion of the 1960s is very much like the Albion of the 21st century and that too is a very good thing.

PTM: My plan was to become an English professor, so the idea of becoming president was not even a twinkle in my eye. As I moved from teaching to administration, I did think about becoming a college president, and at that time the dream of returning to my alma mater was contemplated, but I knew Albion had long-serving presidents so I doubted the timing would work to my favor. I’m genuinely pleased that the timing was right and that serving my alma mater was the capstone of my career.

Photo courtesy of the Mitchell family

PTM: We sometimes forget that the actual envisioning process was a success because it engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, parents and townspeople in helping to design a dynamic and unifying vision.

Implementation was remarkable in that everyone working together designed and made operational 12 major initiatives simultaneously.

The most successful components were the institutes, FURSCA and First-Year Experience, but the revitalized curriculum, interdisciplinary studies and more rigorous scholarship expectations from faculty were instrumental in enhancing the reputation of Albion College. The Vision was the drive for enrollment and fund raising, both areas that achieved historical highs during the past two years.

PTM: The tangible successes include the largest enrollment in history, raising well over $100 million and several new buildings—especially the science complex.

For me, more important are intangible successes, like generating a sense of optimism and pride among students, faculty, staff and alumni that has created a stronger sense of community on campus and greater connection with alumni, parents and friends of the college off-campus, improving governance by involving faculty and students directly with the board of trustees, and placing a strong emphasis and reinforcement that Albion is a student-centered college.

There were a number of difficult problems that never emerged publicly because we were able to solve them in discreet and thoughtful ways. Finally, the engagement with the campus with the town has created a strong bond and that symbiotic relationship will continue.

PTM: My great regret, although there was nothing I could have done, was the national economy in general, but more influential, the Michigan economy which has been called "a one-state recession" that produced a decline in our endowment (along with all other colleges) and caused great strain on the budget.

Our successes in fund-raising and enrollment are all the more impressive when we look at the economic environment in which we were forced to function. Still, I wish we had just a flat economy instead of the deep drop and if we had, the college’s endowment would be close to, or even more than, $250 million (instead of the current $190 million) and we would not have had to make the budget cuts.

PTM: The measure of a person and the basis for a legacy is not a single event, so I am not at all worried about the WSJ article negatively impacting my legacy.

The real measure of a person’s character is how he or she responds to adversity, seeking the seeds of victory. In the case of the WSJ article, I accepted responsibility immediately and made changes very promptly after I discovered them. Like other adversities faced the past 10 years, such as declining enrollment or needed upgrades in facilities, or the health care and economic problems faced by the city of Albion, I took the problems head on, worked diligently and creatively and with the help of everyone, solved them.

I promised the trustees last summer when I first learned about issues in Institutional Advancement, that I would make sure that the office was functioning according to best practice and highest ethical standards and am confident that will be the case when I retire on June 30, 2007.

PTM: Albion is a very special place. I have done all I could to improve its reputation, to build trust and to engage all constituencies in making Albion even stronger, so there isn’t anything more I would seek to change.

As chancellor, I will be focusing primarily on fund raising, especially to build the endowment because an even larger endowment will provide more resources to invest in strengthening current programs or establishing new ones.

Photo courtesy of Dave Trumpie

PTM: No hesitation on the first question. I will really miss the students. They have been a source of joy and inspiration and have created enough great memories to last a very long lifetime.

The thing I’ll miss the least is the rush to judgment and negativity that is always a part of every organization, but fortunately, my basic optimism and my deep and abiding faith in the importance of making Albion the best for the students has enabled me to put the negativity in context.

PTM: Dr. Randall and I have had several communications and each one reaffirms that she will be a terrific president. Primarily, I have shared the very positive feelings I have for the people and programs. I urged her in the highly competitive arena of higher education to build on proven success, but to be entrepreneurial in evaluating new programs.

Dr. Randall is intelligent and a person of integrity, so I encouraged her to go with her instincts and trust the process and trust the people.

PTM: The special spirit of affirmation makes Albion College unique. Other small colleges say they are student-oriented, but our faculty and staff prove it every day in every way.

Faculty give their home phone number and many actually call students who miss class; staff respond at all times of day or night to a student in need of help or reassurance; fellow students show genuine affection and admirations for fellow students and faculty and staff; at the center of all decisions made by administrators or trustees is students’ best long term interests.