Hartwick College President Resigns, Interim President Selected

Trustees Issue Statement to College Community as Reisberg Announces New Position at Vanderbilt University

ONEONTA—On Thursday, October 12, Hartwick College President Darren Reisberg and Trustees David Long, board chair, and Kathy Fallon, vice chair, released letters to the college community via e-mail announcing Reisberg’s resignation and the college’s transition plans:

Dear Members of the Hartwick College Community,

On behalf of the Hartwick College Board of Trustees, we regretfully accept President Darren Reisberg’s decision to step down at the conclusion of this semester to take the position of Senior Counselor to the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

President Reisberg approached his role as president with courage and conviction, devoting his undivided time and attention to become familiar with our college, its challenges, and its opportunities. From the moment of his arrival and ever since, he has exceeded our already high expectations of his leadership and commitment. He worked tirelessly to ensure our community could emerge from the challenges of the pandemic, working closely with the faculty, staff, administration, students and our Board of Trustees. Among his greatest contributions was delivering an infusion of energy and momentum.

In just one year, Hartwick has made remarkable and lasting strides. To do that we took action on multiple fronts. Among the accomplishments of this campus community:

• Increased new enrollment by nearly 10% year-over-year.
• Stood up five new majors and six new minors in high-demand areas – cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, game development, sports management and web design – and enrollments are already exceeding expectations.
• Elevated our athletics programs and nearly every team made it to the Empire 8 postseason.
• Resumed a full January term that offers life-enhancing experiences outside the U.S.
• Strengthened our relationship with the region by expanding access to our special Hartwick experience through the Hartland Promise – a program for students from Otsego and its seven contiguous counties.
• Partnered with SUNY-Oneonta to develop the One-Hart articulation into Hartwick’s storied nursing program and with SUNY-Oneonta and Bassett Healthcare Network to stand up Bassett CARES, a career development and loan forgiveness program for Hartwick students interested in a range of career paths in Bassett’s healthcare system.
• Initiated two distinct efforts to engage our students and faculty with government leaders at the local, state, national, and global level.
• Raised over $7 million in philanthropy – including corporate, foundation, and government support to invest in campus vibrancy and infrastructure, student scholarships, and academic programs.

Even as these new and enhanced programs are building momentum and yielding success, the next 12 to 18 months will be critical for Hartwick. We plan to explore new, creative solutions that will help us navigate a new financial reality which presents significant funding challenges. Hartwick is not alone among the many small liberal arts colleges facing financial difficulty. Our endowment, which is modest in comparison to other institutions, has been funding the college and needs constant replenishment to maintain our mission.

To guide us on this essential journey, and while we conduct a search for a new president, we have named Dr. James H. Mullen, Jr., as our interim president, effective December 16, 2023. Dr. Mullen brings 21 years as a college and university president and over 30 years of experience in leadership positions in public and private higher education to this role. He served for 11 years as the President of Allegheny College, as well as the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina Asheville and the President of the College of our Lady of the Elms. Most recently, he served as Transitional President of Saint John’s University.

Dr. Mullen steps into his interim role already intimately familiar with Hartwick’s mission, having served in 2019 as the external liaison in the College’s successful re-accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

In addition to his duties as president, Dr. Mullen has held leadership positions in major national organizations representing higher education, including several board positions. Dr. Mullen received his bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross, his master’s degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. You can read more about Dr. Mullen’s background online.

President Reisberg will coordinate with Dr. Mullen through the end of the semester to provide a seamless transition. Please join me in thanking President Reisberg for his contributions, and in welcoming Interim President Dr. Mullen to the Hartwick community and working with him to secure our future.

Sincerely,
David Long ’83, H’14 and Kathy Fallon ‘88
on behalf of Hartwick College Board of Trustees

President Reisberg, in his announcement to the Hartwick College Community, wrote:

“The past year has been memorable for me on so many levels. I developed friendships with faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and members of the greater Oneonta community that will last a lifetime. I am especially grateful for your support through the painful losses of both of my parents near the beginning of my tenure.

“I am very proud of all we have accomplished together in such a relatively short time. Among many other things, we: achieved a substantial year-over-year increase in first-year and transfer students in part due to the new HartLand Promise program, as well as in first-to-second year retention; nimbly stood up a set of market-responsive new majors and minors which are exceeding enrollment goals; established a mission-aligned Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Center as well as an Institute for Public Service to provide career paths in local and state government; restored essential, active partnerships with critical regional institutions such as SUNY-Oneonta, Bassett Healthcare Network and Springbrook; made great strides in our current fundraising campaign; brought much-needed transparency to the finances of the college; and deliberately explored opportunities to sustain and preserve Hartwick’s legacy, upon which my successor can build.

“…It was important to me that I directly convey my news and thank you for all you have done — both to welcome me and John into the Hartwick and Greater Oneonta family and to support my and Hartwick’s success. You, Hartwick, and Oneonta will forever be in my heart.”