Al Mulley '70, director of the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science and the chair of the search committee that nominated Kim for College president in 2009, said that Kim's acceptance of the nomination is a testament to his commitment to global service.
"I couldn't be more proud of Dartmouth and for President Kim," he said. "It's an enormous responsibility that he's being asked by the president to take on through this nomination. He'll have an extraordinary opportunity to make the world a better place."
Dartmouth faculty members said Kim's credentials make him a good fit to lead the World Bank. Government professor John Carey said that despite Kim's lack of a background in economics, his experience on issues of international development could be a valuable asset to the organization.
"This is an outside-of-the-box nomination for the Obama administration," he said. "This might be a way to push the institution in a new direction."
Chemistry professor John Winn said that if Kim chooses to leave the College, it will be a "loss" for the Dartmouth community.
"He's someone who had a different road from what Jim Wright had led us, and I wanted to see it grow further," Winn said.
Several students interviewed by The Dartmouth said that Kim's departure would cause significant upheaval at the College. Student Body President Max Yoeli '12 said he was sad to learn of Kim's possible departure, noting that the transition between Kim and the next College president could prove difficult.
"He spent his three years here creating a vision," Yoeli said. "There was never really time for him to implement that vision entirely. It puts the potential successor in an incredibly difficult position of inheriting an unfulfilled legacy."
Yoeli said that Dartmouth has a "rich" history of presidents who have turned down offers for higher positions in favor of continuity of leadership. College President Ernest Hopkins turned down opportunities to become a United States senator during his tenure, Yoeli said.
Ayda Ramadan '13 said she would be happy to see Kim go because she feels the Kim administration has not adequately addressed several important campus issues.
"I felt that President Kim's administration was a massive failure," she said. "When he came to Dartmouth, I knew he wasn't going to last long. He was all about rhetoric and very strategic in his approach."
Ramadan cited Kim's failures to address hazing and binge drinking as well as the departure of several minority administrators as among the administration's main problems. She did, however, commend Kim for raising College funds during the economic downturn in 2009.
In contrast, several alumni interviewed by The Dartmouth praised Kim's administration Former president of the Dartmouth Association of Alumni John Mathias '69 commended Kim for accepting the nomination, as he will attempt to address some of "the world's most highly visible and urgent troubles."
Mathias said most of the problems students commonly associate with the Kim administration such as the dining plan change and binge drinking problems are relatively small.
"They're blown out to be large, but that doesn't make them large," he said. "I find it very discouraging to see such a focus on what the individual wants."
Although Mathias said he does not believe Kim has used his position as a "stepping stone," he said that would not necessarily be a problem for the College if true.
"If [the College presidency were] perceived as a stepping stone,' wouldn't that be marvelous?" Mathias asked. "That would be a great incentive for people to take on the position of president."
Global Health Program Officer Molly Bode '09, who worked as a Senior Fellow for the Kim after she graduated and was on the Presidential Search Committee that nominated Kim, said that Kim would be remembered for helping to close the budget gap, creating The Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science and recruiting a strong leadership team.
