A new school year began for Hanover College students Monday.
And, this year will be the final for college President Sue DeWine who announced her retirement earlier this year.
DeWine said this year's student body is one of the most diverse she's seen.
"Not just racial diversity, but their background as well," she said.
During a discussion group, DeWine said she had a student from a small town in Indiana sitting next to a student from Washington D.C. Their perspectives couldn't be more different, DeWine said.
The college also has students enrolled from China, Israel, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Japan, Italy and Spain.
"It's like a little model UN," DeWine said.
This year is DeWine's last as college president. She has headed the private liberal arts college since 2007, after serving as provost at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.
DeWine is the 15th president in Hanover College's 187-year history and only the sixth since 1879. She is also the first female president of the school.
DeWine said she will be traveling a lot this year to thank the school's alumni donors who helped support the school's new athletic facility.
"I'm going to say thank you to our alumni and encourage them to keep on giving," DeWine said. "This is the start of a good pattern."
The athletic facility will open next weekend for the first home football game of the season.
The school has also completed another construction project on campus. This summer the school finished Lynn Hall, a multipurpose classroom and dormitory facility.
Students moved into the facility this weekend.
Copyright 2024, The Madison Courier