Evergreen to launch search for new president as George Bridges returns to teaching

The Evergreen State College Board of Trustees will begin a search for a new president to start in 2021, the college announced Tuesday.

Evergreen’s goal is to have a new president by the time President George Bridges concludes his presidential contract in June 2021, according to a news release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Bridges, who came to Evergreen after serving as president of Whitman College in Eastern Washington, recently informed the board of his decision to retire as president and return to teaching, according to the news release.

“We agree that now is an appropriate time to begin this important transition at Evergreen,” said board of trustees chair Karen Fraser, a retired state Senator from Olympia and former Evergreen adjunct faculty who recently assumed leadership of the board.

“George has led Evergreen in making important advances in our academic programs and support for students, including significant fundraising for scholarships. He has helped create a more equitable and inclusive campus and laid the foundation for a major fundraising campaign. And he has done so while guiding the college through many challenges, with wisdom and compassion,” said Fraser.

In a phone interview with The Olympian, Bridges said he began his career teaching, he taught a seminar on mass incarceration at Evergreen in 2018, and that teaching is part of who he is.

“It’s, fundamentally, a great opportunity to work on big ideas with smart people who want to make a difference in the world,” Bridges said.

Another factor in his decision, he said, was “looking into the future and seeing ambitious ideas and a need for sustained leadership.”

The board will soon initiate the presidential search process, which can take a full year.

“We will be looking for a dynamic, innovative, and collaborative leader who can guide Evergreen through its next exciting chapter,” said Fraser.

“There’s a special spark and power to an Evergreen education, as innumerable alumni will attest. As our future unfolds, we want to provide this exceptionally valuable educational opportunity to many more students.”

Evergreen, one of Washington state’s six baccalaureate-granting public colleges, offers a distinctive interdisciplinary, collaborative education.

But Evergreen’s enrollment last fall was 2,854 students, down more than 40 percent from its peak headcount a decade ago. The decline, corresponding with an economic recovery and mirroring a trend in liberal arts enrollment nationally, was compounded by campus unrest two and a half years ago that made national headlines.

Since then, the college has tried new ways to attract and retain students and shore up its profile. Students mean tuition, and less tuition means budget cuts. The college’s net annual revenue has been in the red for five years, according to a June financial overview to trustees. In 2018-19, Evergreen looked to cut 10 percent from its operating budget. For this school year, it cut another 5 percent.

This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 3:16 PM.