Macalester President Brian Rosenberg left campus last weekend, marking the beginning of his four-month sabbatical from the college. Rosenberg announced what he hoped would be a clean break from his duties last spring but expressed mixed feelings about his time away. He will be spending the fall traveling, reading and writing.

Kathy Murray, who has previously served as Provost at Macalester since 2008, will serve as Interim President until the end of December. She will be carrying out the same duties as Rosenberg typically does, with the exception of fundraising, in which she plans to be less involved.

“Potential donors would probably prefer to wait and talk with Brian when he returns,” she wrote in an email.

Murray hopes to continue with the strategic planning process so that Rosenberg can approve prewritten portions upon his return. She is excited about the task of acting as Macalester’s President for the semester.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” she wrote.