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窪蹋勛圖厙

Feb. 3 staff meeting recap

February 8, 2023

At the first staff meeting of 2023, President Marc Conner updated the 窪蹋勛圖厙 community on important initiatives and events, three cabinet-level searches, and a brighter than anticipated fiscal outlook. 窪蹋勛圖厙 staff also participated in conversations about 窪蹋勛圖厙s Visions and Values project. 

Director of Human Resources Julie Delay welcomed nine new staff members who have joined 窪蹋勛圖厙 since the last staff meeting in December. She encouraged staff to review HRs Professional Development and Training webpage for upcoming opportunities, such as a session on Addressing Microbehaviors on Feb. 22 and another on Compassionate Leadership during Turbulent Times on April 4.  

President Conner opened by expressing excitement for the upcoming Winter Celebration on Friday, Feb. 10, which will be held for the first time since 2019. He highlighted a number of important events happening on campus, including a national symposium on speech and expression on college campuses that will take place in April. Keynote speakers for the forum are of Harvard University, Wesleyan University President , and New York Times columnist . More details are forthcoming.  

It's going to be a national event and really a model of how we talk about and engage difference on a college campus, and I'm proud that 窪蹋勛圖厙 is on the forefront of that, President Conner said.  

Searches for three vice presidents are currently underway. A search committee is currently reviewing finalists for 窪蹋勛圖厙s next vice president for finance and administration/treasurer, and another committee is considering semifinalist candidates for vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid. 窪蹋勛圖厙 has also resumed its search for a vice president for communications and marketing.  

The president also shared that 窪蹋勛圖厙 continues to enjoy a better than anticipated fiscal outlook. Boosted by higher-than-expected enrollment and tuition revenue, as well as operational savings, the College anticipates a budget surplus again this year. 

What do you do when you have repeated surpluses? What do you do when year after year, we exceed our targets for enrollment? the president asked. For about the last 20 years, we've exceeded our projected enrollments, and in most years we have had surpluses, although we continue to budget otherwise. 

He said College leaders, including Cabinet, the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC), and Board of Trustees were now evaluating assumptions about 窪蹋勛圖厙s budget and how to move forward.   

We're going to keep studying this. Were going to keep looking at this. I think at the end of this year we're going have good news to share, though its unclear yet how good that news can be, he said. 

The second half of the meeting was dedicated to small group discussions about 窪蹋勛圖厙s Visions and Values project, a year-long community-wide engagement with what makes 窪蹋勛圖厙 a special place. In particular, the groups considered: 

What distinguishes 窪蹋勛圖厙 from other small, liberal arts colleges? What are some characteristics of 窪蹋勛圖厙 that, if taken away, would mean we are no longer 窪蹋勛圖厙 College? 

What are the defining values of 窪蹋勛圖厙? In what do we believe? 

The meeting took place in person at the Tang Teaching Museum, with a Zoom option as well. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March. 3.