President Jennifer Braaten, resigning after fourteen years
By Patrick Duggan
Ferrum College president Jennifer Braaten has announced her decision to retire this summer after fourteenn years of service. Braaten, FC’s first female president, oversaw many important updates to Ferrum campus throughout her years as president, including the spring “E-Term,” the first online Criminal Justice course, and the recent completion of the Hank Norton Center, which has expanded FC’s athletic capabilities.
Over the course of Braaten’s presidency, approximately $45 million was raised in capital campaigns, the college endowment grew to $50 million, and around $30 million in facilities was added to campus. Braaten’s work with local businesses led to student facilities like the YMCA and the Tri-area clinic, both located on campus. Outside her duties as president, Braaten has occupied a wide range of leadership roles in higher education, participating in the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, the Appalachian College Association, the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United States Methodist Church, the national Council of Independent Colleges, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, to name a few.
Philosophy professor Jack Corvin, who has been working at FC since 2003, has appreciated Braaten’s warm, open-minded approach to authority, and respects her ability as a leader.
“I’ve always admired and appreciated her,” Corvin said. “She certainly brought a lot of good things to Ferrum. When I have dealt with her, I’ve always felt like I was being treated well. It’s always been a warm relationship, and I don’t know anyone that can work a room like her.”
Braaten’s run as FC president will end after this semester. Braaten has cited serious family medical issues as her reason for retirement. A search committee, including political science professor Sandra Via, has been tasked to find a successor.