Image from Wikimedia Commons
This Wednesday, William & Mary named Katherine Rowe as the College’s 28th president. Being the first female President of the College, many students see the decision as the mark of a change in the school’s history.
Personally, I was thrilled by the choice to elect Rowe as our new President. While I have yet to see what her decisions will be, having a female President feels long overdue for such an old campus. However, I decided to conduct a survey to determine if most of the student body is as excited as me to see what Ms. Rowe has to offer our campus.
The response was overwhelmingly positive – like me, many students were inspired by the idea of the college making progress away from highly male-dominated authority positions on campus.
One student from the class of 2018 described Rowe as a “strong, accomplished woman”, and the “perfect person to help guide William and Mary to a strong future.” This student also noted that the announcement is coming just as William & Mary prepares to celebrate 100 years of co-education this fall.
A student from the class of 2020 said they were excited by the fact that a woman was chosen, but felt the decision was long overdue. They also expressed disappointment that the college has yet to racially diversify the line of college presidents.
While there is still progress to be made, the response to the announcement is largely positive. Many students have made excited Facebook posts, and are eager to see what new ideas Rowe will bring to the position.
The William and Mary campus will look forward to seeing the decisions Rowe will make for the college in the coming years – and we all are hopeful to seeing her continue to inspire us about the progress of our school.