Richard Celeste Will Retire as Colorado College’s President Next Year

Richard F. Celeste, the former ambassador to India and governor of Ohio who has led Colorado College since 2002, will step down as the institution’s president next year, the college has announced. At the time of his appointment, faculty members expressed “some trepidation and a lot of anticipation” about having a nonacademic in the president’s office. But he soon won points for defending academic freedom, standing his ground when religious and political leaders in the state opposed his invitation to a Palestinian activist, Hanan Ashrawi, to speak at a campus symposium. Among other achievements under his leadership, the college has improved its student retention and graduation rates and added 20 tenure-track faculty positions.