ŷ��AV

Greetings from Mary Lyon Hall,

Today marks the first day of classes of our spring semester. While January in New England hardly feels like spring, this day does mark a shift — a turning. Each evening, we add a few more minutes of daylight to the clock. We are back in our classrooms and the campus is bustling. Soon, the weather will warm and our Adirondack chairs will be happily occupied.

This particular January has also brought other, more troubling shifts, creating an uncertain and unsettling time for many in our community. As we hold onto the promise of spring, we also hold fast to ŷ��AV’s mission and values — to what makes us a shimmering example of inclusive learning and a place where so many, from across the country and around the globe, find a sense of belonging. We are committed to remaining the leading gender-diverse women’s college and working together as a community to prepare the purposeful leaders of tomorrow. As announced last week, I will hold a community forum this evening, , to discuss recent White House executive orders.

On this note, I welcome our new students to campus. We have 40 new springies, including 28 first years, eight transfers and four Frances Perkins scholars and we also welcome 18 new graduate students and 72 professional development students who are starting their studies with ŷ��AV this semester. These writers, artists, scientists, athletes, teachers, singers, musicians, community organizers, volunteers and more are poised to make incredible contributions to our community.

In these trying times, let us also acknowledge our successes — to both celebrate them and send a clear message that we will not falter from our purpose and identity. Much excitement is already underway this spring. Our expanded Sophomore Institute was an enormous success, with 131 students participating (double last year’s number). Nearly 200 alums participated virtually and two dozen served here on campus. Participants came from a vast array of fields, including medicine, historic preservation, public policy, data science, education, engineering, finance, law, technology, art, libraries, media and more. Sophomore year is an opportune time for students to begin reflecting on possible paths after graduation and laying out plans for those paths. The staff at the Career Development Center, along with other campus partners, worked very hard this year to transform a half-day event into a three-day one. MHC Forward, the College’s strategic plan, pledges to “prepare students for successful careers and lives of purposeful leadership in a global community.” This program is an important leap in that direction. I am deeply grateful to everyone on campus and the many alums who participated.

For those graduating this May, welcome to your final semester at ŷ��AV. Our 188th Commencement will take place on May 25, 2025. Once again, Commencement will be held outside on Pageant Green, with overflow seating in Gettell Amphitheater. More information about the ceremony and the exciting events that precede it (such as Laurel Parade, Stoling Ceremony, Baccalaureate and Canoe Sing) will be shared in the months ahead.

On the subject of seniors, Diamond Abiakalam-Chinagorom ’25 has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar — ŷ��AV’s first! The program provides a one-year, fully funded scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, with the goal of preparing the next generation of leaders to participate in the geopolitics of the 21st century. Congratulations to Diamond and thank you to the faculty and staff who mentored and inspired her.

Our faculty continue to distinguish themselves as thought leaders. Lynn Morgan, professor emeritus of anthropology, recently received the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Medical Anthropology, and Andrea Lawlor, associate professor of English, was named a MacDowell Winter Fellow in literature, with a residency at MacDowell’s historic campus in Peterborough, New Hampshire. We have four new visiting faculty members joining us this semester. Welcome, new faculty! And welcome back to those who were on leave in the fall.

I also congratulate our colleagues in Library, Information, and Technology Services for receiving their second Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. I am grateful to be a part of a community that works hard to ensure inclusive excellence and foster a sense of belonging.

You may have seen banners with a “W” displayed in students’ windows recently. It stands for “Win!” Our Lyons are having a great year. I’m happy to report that our soccer team received its first ever United Soccer Coaches Regional Ranking, and, as I write, our basketball team is on a four-game winning streak. We are making exciting progress improving our facilities, with renovation work beginning in Kendall Sports & Dance Complex this month and a cutting-edge footing replacement in the Equestrian Center arenas. Come out and support our Lyons this semester!

This spring, we will continue to move forward with major initiatives. We have chosen the planning and architecture firm to help us develop the Comprehensive Campus Plan, our bold vision for campus renewal. With this plan, we will prioritize accessibility and sustainability to ensure our spaces and facilities align with our commitment to providing a rigorous liberal arts education as well as a dynamic, equitable experience for all who enter our gates. Our campus is a shared experience that unites our diverse community, and we intend to honor those who came before us and those who are here now by investing in a bright future. There will be many opportunities for our community to engage with the plan and offer their feedback. To date, over 150 faculty, staff and students have already engaged in direct conversations in the planning process, and nearly 750 people participated in the MyCampus survey that was sent out in late November 2024. Currently, faculty and staff are encouraged to to share the ways they engage with colleagues, and there will be more opportunities for our entire community to participate in this process. To learn more about the plan, process and timeline, please .

The MHC Forward cross-campus in career planning and exploration, graduate opportunities, strategic enrollment, student outcomes, and supporting our TGNC community are making good progress. The letter that Board of Trustees chair Sally Durdan and I write next month summarizing the February board meeting will include a synopsis of their work so far. I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to MHC Forward, and I look forward to sharing how it is already impacting our work.

Preparations are underway for ŷ��AV's next fundraising campaign, which will help us achieve MHC Forward's ambitious goals. As we move into the campaign, we are reestablishing a communications and marketing division of the College. With the evolving scope and importance of both fundraising and marketing/communications, it is clear that both efforts require dedicated executive leadership. Jen Brock, associate vice president for communications and marketing, will serve as interim vice president of the division as we search for someone to permanently fill the role by July 1. The divisions of College Relations and Communications will continue to build on their great strengths. Over the last five years, Communications has successfully advanced numerous key projects and initiatives. I want to thank Vice President Jolley for her vision and leadership. Five years ago, she was given the challenging task of transforming marketing and communications while continuing to grow fundraising. As it turned out, that same period was one of great change and opportunity for our world and the College. ŷ��AV needed strong and capable leadership, and Vice President Jolley was — and is — an extraordinary member of the team.

And so, we begin a promising new semester, albeit at a moment of considerable uncertainty in our nation and our world. I believe there is reason for hope. We must lean on one another and demonstrate the supportive community that ŷ��AV is known for. Each and every one of you belongs here. You are seen, and you are valued.

I wish you all a very successful spring semester and thank you for all the ways you contribute to ŷ��AV’s success.

Sincerely,

Danielle R. Holley
President