Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff Members,

We’re writing to share details on the presidential search campus listening sessions we mentioned in our update last month. The sessions are meant to help inform the work of the search committee and learn your views about the future of Swarthmore and the characteristics you’d like to see in the College’s next president.

With that in mind, we will hold four separate sessions later this month and in early May: one for students, one for faculty, one for staff, and a Zoom session that’s open to all students, faculty, and staff members. The sessions will be led by our partners at the search firm Isaacson, Miller (IM). Here are the details:

Listening Sessions for Swarthmore Presidential Search | Spring 2026 
In-person Open Sessions — Thursday, April 30

• Faculty
  12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EDT
  Scheuer Room, Kohlberg Hall
  (Lunch buffet will be provided for faculty starting at noon.)
• Staff
  2:15 to 3:15 p.m. EDT
  Scheuer Room, Kohlberg Hall
• Students 
  4:30 to 5:30 p.m. EDT
  Dining & Community Commons
  Elizabeth Economy ’84 and David Michael Wah Dining Room, Room 150

We ask that those of you planning to participate only attend the session designated for the group with which you are affiliated (e.g., if you are a staff member, please attend the staff session). We will also hold an open session via Zoom for any student, faculty, or staff members who cannot make one of the in-person sessions. The Zoom listening session will be held on Tuesday, May 5, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET. (An email with the Zoom link will be sent the week prior to the meeting.)

We’re hoping to hear your perspective on Swarthmore and the key challenges and opportunities the new president will face. In particular, we want to get your thoughts on the following:

• What do you consider the greatest, most distinctive strengths of Swarthmore that are important to foster in the coming years?
• What do you consider the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the College and its next leader?
• Where would you like to see Swarthmore in five years? What will be different, and what will be the same?
• What skills, types of experiences, qualities, and characteristics do you think the next president should possess?
• What would you like candidates to know about Swarthmore?
• What would you tell a compelling prospective candidate if you wanted to persuade them to consider the Swarthmore presidency?
• Do you have any suggestions for individuals we should contact, either for candidate ideas or as prospective candidates themselves?

You can also offer your input by completing the community feedback survey that we shared last month. (As a reminder, individual survey responses will be kept confidential and shared only with the search committee and our partners at IM.)

Once you and other members of the Swarthmore community have shared your feedback, the IM team will work with the search committee to develop a position profile for our next president. The profile will outline a realistic and compelling picture of the College, along with the challenges, key measures of success, and the ideal qualifications for our next president. This document will be made publicly available and will be shared broadly by the search firm with prospective candidates and helpful sources.

Thank you for your participation in this important effort. Your input is crucial as we begin the search for Swarthmore’s next president.

Sincerely,

Cindi Leive ’88 and Gus Schwed '84
Presidential Search Committee Co-Chairs
Members of Swarthmore College’s Board of Managers