Colleen Larimore, director of the College's Native American Program, will leave Dartmouth at the end of the Spring term.
Larimore's departure was announced in a letter released by Assistant Dean of Students Dan Nelson on May 4.
According to Nelson, Larimore is planning to move to the San Francisco area to begin a doctoral studies program in sociology within the next year.
Larimore received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth in 1985 and she was president of Native Americans at Dartmouth, the College's Native American students' organization, during her senior year.
From 1985 until 1989, Larimore was assistant director of admissions at the College and served temporarily as director of minority recruitment. In 1989, she left Dartmouth to pursue a masters degree in education at Harvard University.
In June 1990, Larimore returned to Hanover and was appointed head of the Native American Program, a program designed to provide support services for Native American students.
"Many of her efforts have concerned student recruitment, retention and the development of programs to educate the Dartmouth community about Native American cultures and issues," Nelson said in his letter.
Under Larimore's direction, the Native American Program and the Native American Studies department received nearly $2 million in grants and endowments, including $1.6 million from Gordon Russell '55.
The program also received a $155,000 grant from the General Mills Foundation to test-pilot a three-year project called Full Circle Program, which is geared at improving retention and graduation rates among Native students.
There are 140 Native students, representing 55 tribes, currently enrolled at Dartmouth and the College's graduation rate of Native Americans is approximately 72 percent, nearly 10 times the national average.
Nicole Adams '95, president of Native Americans at Dartmouth, said she is saddened to hear of Larimore's departure.
"During her time as director of the Native American program, she has built a true relationship with students," Adams said. "To say she will be missed will be an understatement."
Adams said part of Larimore's success is due to her experience as a Dartmouth undergraduate. "It's the kind to thing you can't learn about. You have to experience it," Adams said.
Larimore declined to comment.
