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Trustees extend President Ruud's contract through 2025

Board thrilled with trajectory of College since Ruud's arrival in 2016

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (11/16/2020) — For the second time since he arrived in 2016, Marietta College's Board of Trustees has awarded President William N. Ruud a contract extension.

The Board unanimously approved to extend Ruud's contract through June 30, 2025 - an additional three years. He received a two-year extension in 2018 that runs through June 30, 2022.

Board Chair Matt Weekley '81 said in a statement to alumni and the campus community that "the Board continues to be extremely pleased with the direction of the College under President Ruud's leadership, and that has never been more evident than during this challenging period for higher education. In the face of a pandemic, Marietta College has risen to the challenge under President Ruud's steadfast leadership."

Weekley has regularly participated in the College's COVID-19 Task Force meetings and has been keeping tabs on how other colleges and universities have managed the pandemic.

"Marietta College takes a backseat to no one in terms of developing appropriate policies and protocols in a timely manner, communicating them to all constituents, and staying nimble enough to make requisite changes as the situation dictates," he said. "We've been very fortunate to have President Ruud at the helm during these times and look forward to leadership continuity for the next several years."

Ruud, who is the 19th President since Marietta was founded in 1835, is in his fifth year and he is excited to remain an active member of the community - both at the College and the Mid-Ohio Valley.

"I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for its confidence and support of the College and of me," Ruud said. "I also want to thank our amazing students, alumni, faculty and staff for the outstanding success we have enjoyed and for continuing to move this great institution forward. We have a lot to be proud of, and I am excited and energized to keep working for a place that is focused on advancing our life-altering academic and residential experience."

Weekley said the Trustees are impressed by the vision created and realized by President Ruud - including stabilizing enrollment, achieving steady increases in fundraising and creating an environment to explore new majors and robust partnerships with other institutions.

"He has also developed strong relationships within the Mid-Ohio Valley that have strengthened the College's standing and reputation, while also expanding the institution's reach around the state by serving on Governor Mike DeWine's Task Force on Testing," Weekley said.

Prior to joining Marietta, Ruud was President at the University of Northern Iowa for three years and President at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania for six years.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major. Marietta College has also been named a Great College to Work For three consecutive years (2018-2020).

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