Moseley to Retire at Franklin College
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFranklin College President James Moseley is planning to retire in June of next year. He has led the university since 2002. Moseley has overseen improvements including a nearly $6 million sports complex expansion. May 15, 2014
May 15, 2014
News Release
FRANKLIN, Ind. – Dr. James G. Moseley, the 15th president of Franklin College, announced today that he will retire at the end of the next academic year, June 30, 2015. “When Candace and I came to Franklin College in 2002, we hoped that things would go so well that I would be here as president for 10 years, at which point we would retire. We are now completing year 12 and looking forward to number 13. Both personally and professionally, Franklin College has exceeded every expectation we had. We feel privileged and grateful for these years and for what has truly been the capstone of my career.”
“Under the president's leadership, Franklin College has realized growth and enrichment, providing an excellent platform for continued success,” said Christine Fields, chair of the board of trustees. “Enrollment has grown and stabilized with 1,000 students on campus, budgets are balanced, the endowment has recovered from the recession, and interest from prospective students is particularly strong.”
“Franklin students and their experiences are most important to us, and this year we received strong affirmation from the National Survey of Student Engagement,” Fields said. The 2013 survey indicated that 94 percent of first-year students participated in a “high-impact practice,” such as a service-learning program, undergraduate research with a faculty member or course with a group-learning component.
Equally important, she noted, the internship program is robust and growing with more than 97 percent of all students completing at least one internship experience before graduating. “These and many other assets created and supported by Dr. Moseley, the faculty, and staff combine to create our ongoing success in producing graduates who are strong candidates for jobs and graduate school,” Fields said.
“Innovative student learning experiences are part of the revamped liberal arts curriculum led by Dr. Moseley,” Fields said. “We have students reporting at the Statehouse, students studying abroad, students involved in campus projects like our sustainability initiative as well as service-learning experiences.”
“Another hallmark of Dr. Moseley's tenure has been connectivity, developing relationships with businesses, communities and organizations throughout the region,” Fields said. “Our relationship with Indianapolis is stronger than ever,” Fields said. “In addition to Franklin College's connections through internship placements, Dr. Moseley's involvement with the Economic Club of Indiana (board and past president), WFYI (board) and NCAA (presidents' council) has been invaluable to the institution,” she said.
A key campus improvement and expansion was Grizzly Park on 78 acres of acquired farmland adjacent to the campus. The $5.8 million complex, funded entirely through private donations, includes a track and field complex, softball and baseball fields, tennis courts, practice fields for intramurals, soccer and lacrosse, a picnic pavilion and a walking and running trail. The park also includes an urban forest of trees and plants native to Indiana as well as retention ponds, all of which provide students opportunities for scientific field studies.
“While this project included many improvements for our fitness and athletic programs, we also added amenities to create a wonderful space for the Franklin community,” Moseley explained. “Together with outstanding coaches, our work to upgrade athletic facilities and programs has contributed to strengthening football, soccer, track and field, tennis and baseball teams as well as women’s softball and lacrosse,” Moseley said.
Other campus improvements include the Von Boll Welcome Center for prospective students and their families and the redesign/expansion of the Napolitan Student Center. A Victorian house once the President’s Home was renovated and repurposed as the Napolitan Alumni House, serving as a residence for visiting faculty and special college guests.
The campus master plan also calls for the development and construction of a Franklin College science center to complement Central Indiana's increasing stature as a life sciences region. “We've completed our due diligence and have a good start on the initial financial support. In the next year, moving the project forward will be my highest priority,” Moseley said.
“Dr. Moseley has been an excellent leader for Franklin, and his commitment to continuity and development during the next 12 months are most appreciated,” Fields said. The search for a new president will begin promptly with a committee led by two trustees who also are alumni. “James Due, senior vice president of Northern Trust Bank in Chicago, will chair the committee and Susan Williams, retired president of the Indiana Sports Corp., will serve as vice-chair,” Fields said. The search committee will include additional trustees, faculty, administration and alumni. Students, community leaders and friends of the college will be included later in the search process, said Fields.
Founded in 1834, Franklin College is a residential four-year undergraduate liberal arts institution with a scenic, wooded campus located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis. The college prepares men and women for challenging careers and fulfilling lives through the liberal arts, offering its approximately 1,000 students 36 majors, 39 minors and 11 pre-professional programs. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA. For more information, visit www.FranklinCollege.edu.
Source: Franklin College