News Archives - 2005
President Frame announces plans for 2006 retirement
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| President Frame has announced plans to retire in the summer of 2006 following completion of his current term. |
William V. Frame, who has served as president of Augsburg College since the summer of 1997, has announced plans to retire in the summer of 2006 following completion of his current term.
In letters to regents and colleagues and in a talk before a gathering of staff and faculty on the campus, Frame said that he and his wife Anne have found the work both rewarding and demanding, with the principal rewards being a deeper understanding of the Lutheran Idea of Vocation and of the educational regimen that it requires. He saluted faculty, staff, regents and other supporters of the College as “true partners” in his presidency.
"Our work together has helped us draw Augsburg to new levels of recognition for advancing the cause of Lutheran higher education in the City and in the Global Society of the 21st Century," he said. “Together, we have brought new life and utility to Luther’s Idea of Vocation, and have organized our General Education curriculum and now our graduate programs around this grand idea of the 'Called Life of Service'.
"Augsburg plays a unique role in the world of Lutheran education. Its service to the City, to the provision of accessibility to first-class educational opportunities for both traditionally-aged students and working adults, and its regard for Faith and Reason as interactive and mutually reinforcing modes of understanding gives us a special mission which you have helped us to see and pursue. No doubt my successor will rely as heavily upon your counsel and support as have I."
Jean Taylor, president of Taylor Corporation and chair of the Augsburg Board of Regents, said she expects the search for the new president to occupy most of the next year. She has appointed H. Theodore Grindal, partner in the law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. and vice-chair of the Augsburg Board, to lead the search. Both Taylor and Grindal are Augsburg graduates.
"President Frame has served Augsburg during an exciting time in its history," she said. "He invigorated the College through a broad and bold effort to clearly articulate the values upon which Augsburg was founded, and in a way that makes it a critical player in our community for the 21st Century. We've seen many new programs and partnerships established, the formation of a branch campus in Rochester, and new attention given to philanthropy and stewardship of the College’s resources and infrastructure. I think Bill Frame has done a remarkable job during his tenure, and it will be vital that our new president continue the legacy that has been created."
Frame, who is the 10th president in Augsburg’s 136-year history, said that while much has been accomplished, he expects his final year to be filled with projects and opportunities. Among those is his continuing work on the College's $55 million "Campaign for Excellence," kicked off in April 2004. Some $40 million has been raised toward that goal, the largest in the College’s history.
Prior to joining Augsburg, Frame was Vice President for Finance and Operations at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Wash. He has been a strong proponent of the tradition of Lutheran higher education, which he believes is based on the ideas of vocation and service and requires ongoing dialogue between faith and reason. His advocacy for vocation also has led to his national leadership among college presidents, currently serving as project director for the Council of Independent Colleges’ program designed to guide both current and prospective presidents in reflection about each leader's sense of calling and its intersection with institutional mission. He also has taken leadership roles with the Minnesota Private College Council – as chair during the 2004-05 academic year – and the Minnesota Campus Compact.
Frame began his educational career in 1967 as a political science instructor at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, becoming chair of the department in 1977. From 1982-89 he worked in various capacities for the First National Bank of Chicago, while also serving on the adjunct faculty at DePaul University. And, from 1989-92 he was Vice President and Corporate Treasurer with the Minnesota-based Tonka Corporation before returning to academe at PLU.
In his letters to Regents and Augsburg Corporation members, Frame said, "I wish you blessings and good fortune in finding Augsburg’s next president, and hope that you stand ready in this next year to help us turn over to my successor a healthy College, secure in its Vision and confident of its future."