While Division III certainly will miss Arcadia University President Bette Landman's leadership and involvement, the community at Arcadia may be torn between celebrating her vast achievements over the past two decades and mourning her loss.

Landman first took the helm of what was then Beaver College in 1982 as acting president after the illness and death of former President Edward Gates. She was named president in 1985.

During the years since her appointment, Arcadia has gone from a small undergraduate institution to a much larger comprehensive university offering master's and doctoral degrees.

With careful planning, the student body has grown from fewer than 1,000 to more than 3,000; SAT scores have risen dramatically; and students from all over the nation -- and the world, thanks to the expansion of international programs -- now attend the institution.

The university initiated its first long-range plan, launched capital campaigns and built buildings. In 1999, Arcadia's endowment topped $26.7 million, a 900-percent increase since Landman became president.

Over the past 10 years, the university has begun 11 major building projects and extended the campus boundaries through the purchase of neighboring houses and commercial buildings. The university's most recent construction project, a new library complex, will be completed later this year. At the request of the Arcadia Board of Trustees, it will be dedicated Landman Library.

Arcadia University in 2003 is a long way from where Beaver College was 20 years ago, a fact that even Landman will admit, though she will not admit to being the driving force behind most of the improvements.

"When I first became president, this institution was very fragile financially," Landman said. "All the right things were there -- there were talented faculty and good ideas -- but it was financially fragile and had accumulated a deficit. There were so many wonderful people there, and it was just sad."

Landman set about changing some things as soon as she could, beginning with the implementation of long-range plans. The team she has now includes many of those same people who started with her 19 years ago, along with a few new faces, though her newest hire to her core team has been at Arcadia for 11 years.

"It's been a wonderful ride of working together, having a vision, knowing where we were going and then actually getting there," she said.

There were no more budget deficits, though there were many lean years. Landman and her staff focused on a strategic plan that matched the capital campaign, and Arcadia also demonstrated a commitment to diversity, both international and domestic.

Landman graduated first in her class from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor of science degree in education, and she earned a master of arts degree in physical anthropology and a doctorate in cultural anthropology, both with distinction, from Ohio State University.

Though she didn't major in finance, Landman is well-known for her financial prowess and attention to budget detail. It obviously paid off for Arcadia, as did Landman's commitment to diversity.

Part of the plan was Landman's vision of international education's role in an increasingly global society. The result was the enhancement of an existing Center for Education Abroad, and the launching of Arcadia's London Preview Program, which allowed first-year students to study abroad. She also established the International Peace and Conflict Resolution master's degree program.

"We were early in understanding that this country, its students and its work force, must be well steeped in understanding and appreciating diversity, particularly international diversity," she said.