Mary13

Beloit has a new president! From today’s e-mail announcement by President Robert Oden of Carleton:

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PlantMom

I just came to start a thread about this. Here's info from Beloit. Congratulations Beloit!

"We are pleased to announce that H. Scott Bierman, academic dean of Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., has been named the 11th president of Beloit College. The announcement was made by James Sanger, chair of the board of trustees, in Eaton Chapel at noon today.

Bierman is an economist with 27 years of teaching and leadership experience in liberal arts education. He has been dean of Carleton College since 2005. Before that, he spent 20 years as a member of the economics department faculty at Carleton and had been named chair of the department in 1991. From 1997 to 2000 he was faculty president, serving as liaison between faculty and the dean and president on curricular and personnel issues. He also founded and chaired the Carleton Faculty Council.

Bierman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and mathematics from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia. His fields of interest include economics of the public sector, industrial organization, game theory, and experimental economics. He is the co-author of a book on game theory and has designed teaching materials accompanying various textbooks in economics.

In addition to his work at Carleton College, he has also been active in the world of higher education as a member of external review committees and other advisory groups for colleges here and abroad. He is a member of the Bates College board of trustees and serves on the board of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest where he is chair of the board of deans.

Bierman will succeed John E. Burris who was president of the College from 2000 until this past year when he accepted the post of president of the Burroughs Welcome Fund in Raleigh, N.C.

Bierman and his wife Melody have two grown children, Lauren and Emily, and will officially assume the role of first family of the College on July 1.

Please join us in welcoming H. Scott Bierman and his family to the Beloit "

SmallCollegesFTW

Hopefully a guy with so much econ experience will give them a boost in this economy!

SimpleRules

Well he's going from one great school to another - it sounds like a very promising fit for Beloit!

fireflyscout

Shoot - hadn't heard this from the Carleton side. Congratulations, Beliot, you're getting a good president!

beausoir

I'm a Beloit student and saw him speak on campus this week. His enthusiasm about Beloit has alleviated my fears that we may become the next Carleton... which is far from Beloit's ideals... plus he has a great sense of humor. One Beloit faculty member told him that he would find our faculty "much yeastier" than Carleton's. His response to the campus? "Bring on your yeast!"

Rupert638

beausoir (or anyone),
I'm not all that familiar with Beloit. What does "yeastie" mean and in what ways is Beloit different from Carleton?
Thanks!

Mary13

I am a Carleton mom and a Beloit mom, so I would be interested in beausoir’s opinion as well. In our family’s experience, both are wonderful schools. My older daughter’s years at Carleton were competitive and fast-paced, with peers who pushed themselves to excel at everything they did. For our daughter at Beloit, life is more laid-back, with informal, collaborative relationships between students and profs.

I had to track down the pertinent meaning of “yeasty” on the internet, which is defined as “exuberantly creative”—a term that fits Beloit well.

SimpleRules

I was confused and intrigued by the 'yeasty' comment too Rupert638, thanks for asking and thanks for the answer Mary13. As a Carleton and Beloit mom, could you tell more about differences between the schools. Is there a place for a serious academic at Beloit?

If beausoir or anyone else can add more about Beloit's 'yeasty' style or anything else that makes Beloit different from say Carleton, Grinnell, Knox or other LACs that would be greatly appreciated!

Mary13

SimpleRules, my oldest daughter went to Carleton, my son to Grinnell, and my younger daughter to Beloit, so we’ve been living in the Land of the LACs for many years. In answer to your first question, “Is there a place for a serious academic at Beloit?” Absolutely. Will you also find a happy slacker or two? You bet. And the same could be said of Carleton or Grinnell. As I’m sure you know, the three schools share many similarities—terrific faculty, extremely bright students, great course offerings, excellent facilities, and friendly, tight-knit communities.

And yet, they are not identical by any means. Each school provides different benefits to different types of people. Do you like wide open spaces? The opportunity to take a walk in the woods after class? Then Beloit probably isn’t the place for you, but Carleton might be. Do you find that the trimester system has more cons than pros? Then Grinnell or Beloit might prove to be a better choice than Carleton. Do you need access to the big city? Trips to Chicago are common for Beloit students, but Grinnellians tend to stay close to campus. Is prestige important to you? Carleton and Grinnell are harder to get into than Beloit. Are you eligible for financial aid? All three schools aim to meet demonstrated financial need, but what if you have to pay full boat? Then you might want to consider Beloit, whose 2008-09 tuition, room and board is $5,000 less than Grinnell’s and $10,000 less than Carleton’s. My point is that all three schools are a great jumping-off point if you are beginning the college search, but God is in the details. Draw up a list of priorities, try to visit each campus, and then determine which school is the best and most realistic choice for you.

beausoir

Bear with me, this is a bit hard to articulate. Bierman defined 'yeasty' through a poem (maybe it was Yeats? Can't remember) in that he may find the Beloit faculty more challenging. Indeed, one definition of yeasty is "unrest, agitation or turbulence." In this context, I find Beloit faculty to be challenging to students, each other, and the College administration; not negatively, but rather to promote discussion and raise counterpoints as often as possible.

I don't mean to suggest that Beloit is better than Carleton. I think the two just attract different students and faculty. Mary13, I couldn't agree with your observations more. The students I know at Carleton are more competitive and driven to succeed. Beloit students are driven, too, but in a different way; we're more focused on collaborative work and challenging the status quo. My Carleton friends love it there and I couldn't be happier for them, but I know they wouldn't have the same experience at Beloit, and vice versa.

Mary13, I absolutely think there is a place for serious academics at Beloit. Students are academically motivated and professors expect dedication from their students. I’ve been satisfied with and challenged by all of my courses here, whether through discussions, debates or research papers.

SimpleRules

beausoir - I looked up yeasty and also got, "marked by spirited enjoyment" and "exuberantly creative" - I'm starting to get a clearer picture - thank you.

Mary13 - thank you so much for your comments - what a great perspective you have. We have visited each of the schools your kids attend but it is hard to get a good read with a short visit. Money and admissions are ever looming factors.

Thank you both for your great responses. My D is in the thick of the college search, accepted to many schools, including Beloit (!) which we are liking a lot. Grinnell and Carleton have such a reputation for seriousness (in fun and work) but Beloit has gone through some changes over the years and for me it is a harder 'read.' It seems to have settled in to a great (yeasty) sort of personality and our concern that there is room for serious students is being alleviated. If either of you (or anyone) have any other tidbits to share from your unique perspectives it would be greatly appreciated.

friedmom

I'm very much enjoying reading all of your insightful comments on the culture at Beloit - "yeasty" will probably be my new volcabulary word of the week! My daughter has been accepted EA at Beloit and is waiting to hear from several other places, including Carleton. I wonder if some of you who are students there or are parents can speak to one question I have. I know that most colleges have a higher % of female students than male these days, but the last published stats I saw for Beloit were more skewed than most: 60%F:40%M. I haven't seen figures for the last couple of years (and can't find any on their website), and am wondering if this is still the case, and if so, if anyone feels this ratio impacts the feel/culture of the college, either in the classroom or out. Is this a "doesn't make any difference" kind of statistic? Or is it a noticeable imbalance? Any thoughts on the reasons for it? Thanks for any feedback.

Mary13

I am guessing it falls into the "doesn't make any difference" category. My daughter has a fairly even mix of males and females in her classes and within her group of friends, and I haven't heard any complaints about a shortage of men.

SimpleRules

I checked College Board which indicates Beloit is 54%F/46%M.