Frombgen begins work as the new president of Southwestern
Elizabeth Frombgen has completed
her first week as Southwestern College’s 20th President.
“It is a great day to be a Builder,”
said Frombgen. “Southwestern College is an incredible institution with strong
academic and extracurricular offerings; a beautifully historic campus; and
unique traditions, but what truly makes our college so distinctive are the
wonderfully caring people – students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community.”
Frombgen and her husband, Doug Kinnear, a retired
professor of economics, moved to Winfield in early June from Pennsylvania where
Frombgen was the vice president for academic
affairs and dean of the college at Thiel College.
“We have been so kindly greeted by the people of Winfield and by my colleagues
on campus,” said Frombgen. “Winfield is going to be a great home to us both.”
Though Frombgen’s first official day was July 1, she was around campus throughout
June, getting the lay of the land and meeting with constituents. Frombgen also
hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the college’s new residence hall at the
corner of Warren Avenue and Houston Street in mid-June.
Her first official week as president was spent
meeting with faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and community members to listen
and plan.
“In a few weeks we’ll begin welcoming the Class of 2026 and returning students
to campus and we are excitedly preparing for their arrival and the academic
year,” said Frombgen.
Southwestern is well positioned to welcome students in part thanks to the work
of the college’s chief financial officer, Tony Crouch, who has served as
interim president since January.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Tony Crouch, who has capably served as the
interim president,” wrote Frombgen in an email to faculty and staff on her
first day. “Tony truly stepped up for Southwestern and has done an excellent
job over these past months. I am grateful that he will continue to serve our
college as CFO. We are blessed by Tony’s skill as a knowledgeable financial
manager and strategic advisor, but also by his incredible work ethic.”
Frombgen, a political scientist,
professor, and administrator with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, has notable practice
in strengthening the student experience, curriculum revision, market-based
program development, and student retention work. Additionally, Frombgen
is known for building cooperative relationships with alumni and the community
that strengthen the institutions she has served. She is committed to instilling a campus climate in
which all are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
“With the support of our community and the Builder family we are committed to continuing the transformational work that has defined
Southwestern for 137 years, and together we will propel our college to the next
level of excellence and impact.”
Frombgen
earned her Ph.D. and master of arts degree in political science from Purdue
University and her bachelor of arts degree from Western Washington University.
She was on faculty at Hastings College from 2001 to 2012, serving as a
professor and department chair before accepting the role of associate vice
president for academic affairs, a position she held until 2017 when she
accepted the position at Thiel.
Frombgen has hit the ground running. She is busy getting to know the Builder
family and the broader community, with several local and regional
meet-and-greet opportunities in the works. She will be presenting at the Rotary
Club of Winfield on July 20 and at the Rotary Club of Arkansas City on
September 12. Additionally, the college will host a Community Coffee on August
25 at 9:30 a.m. in the Stir & Bustle Coffee Shop located in Deets Library. The
college also invites alumni and the community to campus for Homecoming
festivities on October 15 which will include opportunities to meet the new
president.
Southwestern will hold a formal inauguration of Frombgen in the spring,
corresponding with Founders Weekend festivities on campus.
As Frombgen takes the helm at Southwestern College, alumnus, Kim Moore,
completes three years of service as chair of the 29-member volunteer Board of
Trustees. Scott Hecht, a member of the Class of 1990, will serve as chair, a
position Hecht held previously.
“I want
to thank Kim for his leadership over these past years, a period of unique and
unprecedented challenges. Kim’s term was capped off with the exceptionally important
work of finding the right person to serve as president for our college,” said
Hecht. “I'm enthusiastic about Liz’s leadership and the future of Southwestern
College. Liz is focused on enhancing the experience of our students and strengthening
our institution. She is aware of the challenges and opportunities that lay
ahead for Southwestern, and I've worked with Liz enough already to know she's
the right person to rally Moundbuilders forward into a new era.”
