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President Marc Conner and administrators welcomed College employees back for the start of the 2022-23 academic year and briefed them on important issues, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the Class of 2026, and precautions against COVID-19.  

The president opened the first staff meeting of the academic year on Friday, Sept. 9, on an optimistic note, expressing excitement about the coming term and gratitude for all the efforts of staff and faculty to make another academic year possible. This year also marks the Centennial of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ College whose collegiate status was recognized in 1922.  

The health and safety of the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ community remains ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s top priority as the College continues to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) while also delivering a full ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ experience to students, President Conner said.  

In line with tradition and ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s commitment to DEI, faculty and staff affirmed their own commitment to ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement, which was read aloud at both the faculty and staff meetings.   

Joshua Woodfork, vice president for strategic planning and institutional diversity, encouraged ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ community members to participate in In It 7, a suite of diversity and inclusion programs designed to raise our cultural fluency and strengthen our community, which will take place Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Sept. 30. 

Mary Lou Bates, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid, provided an update on the Class of 2026, which again exceeded ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s admissions target.  

President Conner invited all community members to participate in one of two Campus Master Planning final presentations on Friday, Sept. 16. The sessions, which follow a 15-month collaborative process, will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. via . 

The president also provided updates on searches for three cabinet-level positions: dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid, and vice president for finance and administration and treasurer. Other topics included the opening of the East Wing of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences, the new campus parking policy for students, student housing, new services offered by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Counseling Center, and ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s Racial Justice Initiative. 

At the faculty meeting, Michael Orr, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, introduced each of 50 new faculty members joining the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ community.  

President Conner welcomed employees and their families at a reception at Scribner House, the first time the gathering has been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Both the faculty and staff meetings were held in a hybrid format, allowing employees to participate in person and online. The next faculty and staff meetings are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7.