Franklin & Marshall Professor of Classics Gretchen Meyers has been appointed Associate Provost for Institutional Planning and Strategy. 

Meyers, whose academic area of specialty is Roman and Etruscan archaeology, joined the F&M faculty in 2007. In addition to teaching courses in classics, Meyers has held various service and leadership roles across campus, including Director for the Office of Sponsored Research and Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives. 

In her new role, Meyers will lead the Middle States reaccreditation process and the evolution of the Office of Institutional Research toward an integrated institutional effectiveness model. The appointment is part of a restructuring that has transitioned the Office of Institutional Research to the Office of the Provost. Meyers will also work closely with the Office of the President to advance the development  and assessment of institutional goals. 

“This is an exciting moment for F&M, and bringing institutional research into the Provost’s area strengthens the College’s ability to align data, planning, and academic priorities in a more integrated and strategic way,” said Provost Sunita Kramer. “I am thrilled to welcome Gretchen into this role. She is a deeply capable leader who understands the academic enterprise and brings a collaborative approach to evidence-informed decision-making. I look forward to the work we will do together to support the College.”

“As we begin the Middle States reaccreditation process and prepare for a new strategic plan, I am excited to play an expanded role in supporting the College’s institutional goals and priorities,” Meyers said. “Institutional research can be a key partner across the campus. Having strategy, planning and institutional research all working together, guided by evidence, is essential to moving the College forward toward continuous improvement.”

“Thinking strategically about the direction of the College is so rooted in the students—who they are, what they excel at, and what they’re capable of—and being in the classroom gives me a front-row seat to that."

-Gretchen Meyers

“We are very fortunate to have someone with Gretchen’s experience and knowledge of F&M and higher education taking on this new role,” said F&M President Andrew Rich. “I am pleased to have her voice in the cabinet and grateful she will take a lead role in helping develop strategy and goals for the College’s next chapter.” 

Meyers will continue to teach courses in the classics department, and emphasized the continued importance of her time in the classroom even as she enters a new stage of her career at Franklin & Marshall.  

“Thinking strategically about the direction of the College is so rooted in the students—who they are, what they excel at, and what they’re capable of—and being in the classroom gives me a front-row seat to that,” Meyers said. 

With her combined role as a professor and associate provost, Meyers looks forward to bringing together students, faculty and staff around the College’s strategic priorities. In particular, she sees exciting opportunities for Franklin & Marshall to continue providing a distinctive liberal arts education that meets the current moment. 

“It’s a time when liberal arts colleges are thinking about what makes us unique and valuable,” Meyers said. “The liberal arts experience is about what it means to be human, and the connections that exist between us. To me, that is what makes this whole enterprise special.”