Mitchell has served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Selection Committee for the Rhodes Scholarships and is a past president of the National Association of Independent College and University State Executives.

[6] The bill clarified the law and has had a long-term impact on other nonprofits besides private colleges, including hospitals, nursing homes, and public universities.

[5] A capital campaign brought in over $90 million and the college simultaneously increased the volume of applications and became more selective in its admission practices.

ft. Barnes & Noble Bookstore in downtown Lewisburg as well as rehabilitated downtown administrative office space, the rejuvenation of the art deco Campus Theater, a business incubation center, Bucknell Landing which opens the Susquehanna River directly to Bucknell's faculty, students, staff and programs, and more than 10 miles in rails-to-trails projects in the region.

[citation needed] Working with Bucknell's faculty, he implemented a new arts and science curriculum; ABET reaccreditation of the University's engineering college, the move from department to a School of Management, and the migration to the 5-course load that lowered the student/faculty ratio to 10/1.

[citation needed] More than 60 new professors were hired during his tenure, amid a focus on improving faculty salaries, expanding sabbatical and travel funds, opening a new Teaching and Learning Center.

He is also a member of the board of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in Chicago and has served as a trustee of Washington and Jefferson College.

Mitchell was honored with the 2010 national award for individual contributions to American higher education by the Posse Foundation in New York City in May 2010.