Ann Fields appointed president of William Penn

OSKALOOSA — William Penn University has selected Dr. Ann M. Fields to be its 26th president.

Fields has served as interim president since July 2009. She will be the first female president at the Quaker institution founded in 1873 and one of only six women heading up the 30 private colleges in Iowa.

“I’m very pleased to have Ann Fields serve as president of William Penn University,” said Joe Crookham, chairman of the board. “Her extremely high skill level, together with her non-traditional career path to this position, makes her highly qualified to lead the university during a time of great transition in higher education. We are also pleased that she will serve the university as our first female president.”

Fields is an Iowa native who spent the first 20 years of her adult life farming. Following the farm crisis of the 1980s and her children’s departure for college, she decided to enroll at Iowa State University the day after her 40th birthday. At ISU she earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees before completing her Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

In 2001, Fields began her journey with William Penn by becoming an adjunct faculty member in the College for Working Adults. Within two years, she joined the faculty of the College of Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies and was given the assignment of addressing retention issues. In 2008, she accepted the role of vice president of operations and systems to evaluate operating systems and lead strategic planning for the university. In January last year, the board of trustees announced Fields’ appointment as provost and interim president.

Fields stated, “I’m humbled and honored to accept the position of president of William Penn University. For me, having taught and been an administrator at Penn, it’s all about the students. Thanks to the dedication of the faculty, staff, and coaches, Penn provides an opportunity for our students to have an educational experience with a focus on leadership, technology and Quaker principles. William Penn is positioned to be a driving force in higher education with our new buildings, the Master of Business Leadership, and new programs in Justice System Leadership, Insurance, and Human Resources coming in the College for Working Adults.”

Though it is a significant milestone in the university’s history, it is not surprising that William Penn would be among the first to advance a woman into the chief administrative role. The Quaker value of equality for all supports the action and carries forward the tradition that started with Penn’s first graduate in 1875 — a woman. William Penn was also the first Iowa institution to hire a female African-American professor, in 1945.

Ronald K. Bryan, General Superintendent of Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends, and member of the William Penn Board of Trustees, explains further. “Quakerism as a Christian movement has upheld since its inception the belief that in Christ all are equal. Dr. Ann Fields’ selection to be the first female president of William Penn University serves to underscore that belief and demonstrates our recognition of her leadership capabilities,” he said.

Fields’ administration has already demonstrated a commitment to the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality, evidenced by a newly restated mission for the university. Throughout its history, William Penn has been an innovator in reaching out to underserved populations and in answering unmet or emerging needs.

During the Depression, some students paid tuition in the form of livestock and crops, keeping them in school and the college operating. Following World War II, the student population was a mix of conscientious objectors, veterans and Japanese-Americans who had been released from internment camps.

Since 2002, the university has used the ICN — Iowa Communications Network — to deliver educational opportunities throughout Iowa to school districts that are experiencing an influx of non-English speaking students. William Penn’s programs to prepare English as a Second Language educators have impacted hundreds of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals and thousands of children.

At the university’s main campus in Oskaloosa, the student population represents nearly 40 U.S. states and a dozen foreign countries. Besides the geographic diversity, this body of over 900 students is also diverse in its socio-economic background, ethnicity and academic preparedness. Many are first-generation students preparing themselves to take on the roles of community and business leaders.

The university has experienced significant growth in recent years, both in programming and in facilities. A digital broadcasting major has been added to curriculum options and offers unique hands-on learning experiences in broadcast journalism. Through the William Penn University Communication Research Institute (CRI), students participate in the production of local news, sports, documentary and other television programming.

In response to identified needs of regional health providers, William Penn also began a RN to BSN nursing program in 2009. The curriculum of this degree program will build on the experiences of working RNs to prepare them for positions in nursing management or for further education at the graduate level.

Penn’s first graduate program was launched in 2007 and now has 175 enrolled as students in the Paul W. McCracken Master of Business Leadership. McCracken is a Penn alumnus who served as an economic advisor for five presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan. The master’s degree with a leadership emphasis is offered by the College for Working Adults and is a natural extension of the leadership core curriculum for which William Penn has been nationally recognized. The CWA continues to build its program offerings and will launch an insurance certificate and degree program in 2010.

On the Oskaloosa campus, the Musco Technology Center opened for use in 2008 and provides film studios and editing facilities for the digital broadcasting program along with classrooms and labs for Penn’s premier industrial technology and energy studies programs.

Also new in 2008, the Penn Activity Center (PAC) provides over 150,000 square feet of academic and recreation space for students. It includes 50 yards of turf, an elevated jogging track, two full basketball/volleyball courts and a unique balcony fitness area. Classrooms, meeting space, offices and locker rooms are currently in use, and a new science center with five laboratories is under development.

As president of William Penn University, Fields will enjoy the momentum of a college that is bound for continued growth and fulfillment of its mission. She is committed to engaging the faculty, staff, coaches, and community members to provide a quality educational experience for all students.

“I am blessed to be at William Penn where we are committed to student learning, ethical decision-making, and engagement in a global environment,” Fields said.

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