KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER
GRACE MAIN
COPY EDITOR
9/8/2025
While the rest of campus was home for the summer, Alma College’s new president, Dr. Joe Odenwald, and his family were making their home in Alma.
Dr. Odenwald arrived on campus in June and right away began to be involved with both the City of Alma and the Alma College community. He spent the summer meeting the staff and alumni, amongst other people, who make Alma the distinguished institution that it is.
“I had the opportunity to meet with every staff group this summer, which is something I really wanted to do to engage with people’s perceptions of Alma’s strengths and our challenges, as well as the opportunities and threats that the college has, so I spent a good bit of the summer doing that and just trying to observe and listen,” said Odenwald.
He met with alumni and staff all over the state, traveling to Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Midland.
Odenwald’s family is adjusting and getting involved in the community as well. Odenwald, as well as his wife and son, can be seen around campus and the city in some of their favorite spots, including the Chapel Lawn, Blockhouse, Helman’s Deli, and the Alma Brewing Company. The size of Alma is very comparable to the city of Pineville, Louisiana, where Odenwald completed his undergraduate degree, making the adjustment of moving to Alma smooth.
“We like the town, we really do,” said Odenwald.
The family enjoyed Tartan 101 activities and are looking forward to attending more events this Fall.
“I’ve seen Becoming a Scot Day, I’ve seen Tartan 101, and then we’ll have a football game here in two weeks, so I’m looking forward to just seeing it all the first time,” said Odenwald.
The president also plans on meeting a good portion of the student body this fall.
“I had the Presidential Scholars over Wednesday (8/27), got the Greeks coming next week. I’m going to Student Congress the week after next. I’m meeting with SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee), and I’m supposed to meet with the RAs. I’m going to try to in September alone to meet with about 20% of the student body through these various things,” said Odenwald “I’ll be at most things, that’s going to be a way that I engage.”
Looking long-term past this fall, Odenwald has plans for the future of Alma College, especially considering enrollment and financial struggles that small, liberal arts colleges have been facing in these past couple of years.
“The word I’m using right now and what I’ve been using recently is sustainability. Colleges like Alma, it’s no mystery, are going through a difficult time with so many headwinds out there in the external environment, so we have to be sustainable. I have a lot of confidence that we can be sustainable. You know, it’s an institution that’s been around 139 years next month. But we’ve got to be sustainable, you know, and that means we’ve got to figure out what the right size is for Alma and be true to it and do the best we can with it,” said Odenwald. “10 years, I’d like to see our enrollment have been very stable throughout a period of time where the demographic winds are fairly profound, and 20 years down the road I hope Alma is on a sustainable track and is still true to form.”
At Southwestern Michigan College, Odenwald’s previous presidency, he increased enrollment and made major renovations to the campus. With his experience, he hopes to contribute to Alma in similar ways.
“There are things that we need to do in a lot of physical spaces, particularly in the academic learning spaces. We need to do some work in some of these areas where students spend a lot of their time in- the laboratories and in the classrooms,” said Odenwald.
The Almanian: News 
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