BREAKING: President Wendy Raymond Announces Retirement

By: Krish Gupta and Pae Smith-Hiebert

Just two days after Vice President and Dean of the College John McKnight announced his departure from Haverford College for Dartmouth, President Wendy Raymond issued a statement announcing her retirement. These significant shake-ups in College leadership come after several challenging years for college campuses across the country, due in part to protests surrounding Gaza and concerns about antisemitism. Haverford was often at the center of this unrest, with President Raymond testifying before the House Committee on Education and Workforce on May 7.

“With a full heart and after much reflection, I have decided to retire in June 2027,” wrote President Raymond in the statement. While she mentioned that her decision to leave higher education after more than three decades was “not an easy decision,” she did not provide any specific factors or reasoning for her departure from academia.

President Raymond has served as Haverford’s president for over six years, during which several key achievements have marked her tenure. The Haverford 2030 strategic plan, the formation of the Michael B. Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership, and clean energy initiatives rank among her most significant accomplishments as president. She has also championed efforts to advance inclusion, especially through the Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) division. 

The College has also faced several significant challenges in a tumultuous political landscape during her tenure. In October 2020, just over a year into her time as President of the College, President Raymond co-authored an email with then-Dean of the College Joyce Bylander discouraging students from protesting the murder of Walter Wallace Jr. by Philadelphia police, which was one of the main factors leading to the two-week Bi-College student strike of 2020.

Additionally, President Raymond—along with other college administrators across the country—has been under fire for her handling of student demonstrations following the events of October 7, 2023, with some feeling as though she failed to address alleged acts of antisemitism. Others accused her of betraying Quaker values and disregarding student opinion by resisting demands made by pro-Palestine student protestors. 

In a message to the community sent ten minutes after President Raymond’s announcement, the Chair of the Board of Managers, Michael B. Kim ’85, expressed his “heartfelt thanks” to President Raymond for her years of service, echoing the President’s assurance that “the College is strong and well positioned for the future.”

Kim confirmed that the Board will form a search committee for Haverford’s new president and plans to conduct a nationwide search in early 2026. Kim shared that the search will involve “a series of listening sessions to gather community input on the qualities and experience we seek in our next leader,” assuring that the Board will continue to keep the community informed throughout the process. 

The news of President Raymond’s retirement comes only days after she announced that Vice President and Dean of the College John McKnight will be joining Dartmouth in June 2026 as the inaugural dean of undergraduate student affairs in the School of Arts and Sciences.

In her announcement of his departure, President Raymond praised Dean McKnight for his “immeasurably positive impact” on the Haverford community, specifically noting his reshaping of the Dean’s Division, adoption of new student success metrics, and the development of the FORD Life initiative as a part of the College’s broader 2030 Plan.  

With the departures of President Raymond and Dean McKnight, Haverford finds itself at a turning point. As Kim leads the national search, he and the Board will need to find leaders capable of navigating an increasingly politically charged landscape while preserving the College’s core values. Between the two upcoming searches, the continuation of the 2030 strategic plan, and heightened federal attention, Haverford stands on the brink of a transformation.