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Elms president settling into her new role

Date: 1/26/2010

Jan. 27, 2010.

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE -- The president of Elms College may look at the college she leads and the community of which it is part from the perspective of an outsider, but Sister Mary Reap has been impressed by what she sees.

And in many ways, the greater Chicopee area reminds her of her long-time home of Scranton, Penn.

Speaking with Reminder Publications, Reap, who was installed as president last year, said the college has much strength.

"Certainly the most obvious characteristics is the very strong sense of caring and community between the faculty and students," she said.

She added, "I've never seen such a loyal group of alumni who speak [of the college] with great pride and community. It really struck me."

Born in Pennsylvania, she grew up in Binghamton, NY. She attended Marywood College as a student and later returned to it as a faculty member.

Reap was president of Marywood University in Scranton, Penn. from 1988 to 2007. As president, she guided the transformation of the school into a university in 1997.

Although she noted that Marywood University is much larger than Elms College, she sees the smaller size as offering an advantage.

"The size of the institution allows it to be very personal," she said. "People really know each other by name. I find that to be a great strength."

And she said the college's traditionally small faculty/student ratio has yielded "a high degree of success."

She believes Elms College is "a reflection of the community." She noted that Chicopee is a "very family oriented community" and similar to Scranton with a diverse ethnic population that works hard.

She sees Elms as part of the economic engine for the region, like other colleges.

"They are a tremendous asset in so many ways," she said.

Besides providing employment and purchasing power, colleges also produce skilled workforces for a region. The challenge, Reap said, is to keep those students in the area.

She noted two other challenges facing colleges: adopting to the many emerging career paths being created by changing technology and preparing students to face the fact that they will not have the same career during their working life.

"How, over a lifetime, do you keep people moving on?" she asked.

The growth of ongoing professional education, in which people return for more training, is a potential answer, she said.

Whether building new facilities or adding new programs, "expansion is always part of our business," she said.

"I feel very comfortable. I love it here," she said. "It's not a great cultural shift, even the weather is similar."