College news and upcoming priorities for Fall 2024

September 9, 2024

Dear Williams students, faculty and staff,

As promised, I write today to catch you up on news from the last several months and highlight some of the many, many (many!) programs planned for this fall. It all makes for a long message—evidence of the level of activity in every area of the college.

Academics

  • Over the summer we leveraged our combined strengths in environmental studies and sustainability by creating the new Zilkha Center for the Environment. The Center is the new umbrella for our campus sustainability and co-curricular work, while the Environmental Studies Program continues to serve as the interdisciplinary hub of our environmental studies curriculum.
  • On a related note, I hope you read the good news that we’re continuing the college’s sponsorship of the Williams-Mystic Program. Thanks are due to everyone who contributed to that outcome, especially the members of the Working Group on the Future of the Williams-Mystic Program.
  • Among many noteworthy faculty accomplishments, I want to congratulate the 2024 recipients of the Nelson Bushnell, Class of 1920, Prize: Sandra Burton (Dance), Christi Kelsey (Athletics), Christina Simko (Sociology) and Tom Smith (Chemistry). The Prize is awarded to faculty who are “consistently recognized both by their colleagues and students as excellent teachers and mentors,” and this year’s cohort is richly deserving of this recognition!
  • Congratulations are also in order for all the faculty and staff who’ve recently received outside grants or awards. You can find a great deal of information about funded projects on the Grants Office website.
  • This fall, the Winter Study Program Committee will continue working closely with the Committee on Educational Affairs, Faculty Steering Committee and others on our plan to sustain and reinvigorate Williams’ signature Winter Study program. As part of this effort we’re currently interviewing candidates for the Director of Winter Study position and will announce our hire in Daily Messages later this term.

Staff news

  • Staff are crucial partners in our educational mission, and I hope you’ll join me in welcoming the members of the 2024-25 Williams Staff Committee. The Committee provides a crucial voice for staff in the life and governance of the college.
  • Please also check out the new Williams Voices video series, created by Human Resources and Communications to feature some of the many fascinating, multifaceted people who make up the Williams staff! A special thank you to Brandon Hurst (Facilities), Sarah Willette (Admission) and Rami El-Aasser (Dining Services, Music) for appearing in the first three segments, and to all the people who helped get the series rolling.

Student life

  • Tomorrow night is the 2024 Davis Center Block Party, 5-8 PM. It’s a fun time to meet new and old friends, enjoy community and help bring life to the new DC facility in its first full year of operation. I hope to see you there! And later this fall I hope you’ll return to the Center for the annual W. Allison Davis ’24 and John A Davis ’33 Lecture: we’ll announce this year’s speaker and event date in the coming weeks.
  • This year, several important initiatives are looking at ways to enhance student life and create structure for our community, guided by three committees looking at key aspects of residential life and student affairs:
    • The Ad Hoc Working Group on Academic Integrity will review our Honor Code policies and procedures as well as our mechanisms for explaining and enforcing the Code, and will have the opportunity to propose enhancements or changes if they see the necessity.
    • The JA Program Working Group will evaluate our student leadership model in first-year housing and residential life and develop recommendations on how Williams can support the best possible JA program and first-year student experience.

All three groups have been charged with seeking robust student engagement during their work. Students, if you’re interested in applying to join one of these groups, please complete the Student Faculty Committee Board’s self-nomination form by 10 PM Saturday, September 14th. We’ll share information about other opportunities for input via Daily Messages and the committees’ websites.

  • Earlier this month we published updated policies on campus postering and protest. In Spring 2023 I charged the Ad Hoc Committee on Posting and Protest Policies with reviewing our policies. In its final report, the Committee, informed by outreach to the wider Williams community and a review of policies at peer institutions, concluded that most of our existing policies were well-suited for Williams. In a few areas we adjusted our rules, always with the twin goals of ensuring ample opportunities for expression and guaranteeing that access to an education free from harassment or intimidation for all students. You’ll find the full policies on Campus Life’s Events page. And if you have questions about how to work within the rules, the Committee members are excellent sources of advice and eager to help. Many thanks to them, and to all who provided input along the way.
  • Relatedly, I recently distilled my Fall 2023 campus letter, on the role of a college president in the wake of world events, into a set of principles to guide my overall approach to institutional statements. These principles are now published on my Writings page under the title “On Institutional Statements.” I’m happy to discuss my approach with anyone, whether you agree with my views or not. Please join me for office hours or one of my periodic lunches in the dining halls if you want to talk about this, other issues on your mind or just to say hello!
  • Finally, during this election season I encourage everyone at Williams to engage in the democratic process however you can. Voting is one important way, and even if you’re not eligible to vote you can still have a voice on the issues. A good place for everyone to start is with EphVotes, our powerhouse nonpartisan, student-run voter outreach organization. They’re a great resource for information about candidates, issues and the voting process itself.

Administration and operations

Our administrative units were busy this summer, too.

  • The Investment Office has been working on financial transparency measures, as promised in a campus letter last June. Changes that will roll out this fall include a new Investment Office website where you’ll be able to learn about our endowment management principles and decision-making; as well as a set of informational events and office hours for students, hosted by members of the Investment Office team. Watch Daily Messages for details.
  • Many facilities projects and related initiatives are also progressing, from the new Multipurpose Recreation Center and Williams College Museum of Art to investments in upgrading our athletics and wellbeing facilities and programs. They’re all part of a broad effort to enhance Williams’ curriculum, co-curriculum, student life and experience. Such facilities work is deeply influenced by program studies, through which we seek community input on community needs and aspirations. If you’re interested, the opportunities for input this fall will include:
    • An athletics and wellbeing program study led by consultants Perkins & Will.
    • A study to help shape our plans for Lawrence Hall.
    • A study to inform our three-to-five year, $15M project to update dining equipment and improve the student dining experience.
    • A dorm renovation study, coordinated with Bruner/Cott Architects, to help us align this project with our campus-wide decarbonization plan.

These events, too, will be promoted in Daily Messages. I hope you’ll watch for them and take part if you care about the work.

In closing, I want to publicly thank the team steering our Workday implementation. Change is always hard: I’m grateful to you all for your patience and learning, and to the project leaders and contributors for investing so much effort in guiding us through the transition.

There is far more going on at Williams than I could fit into even this long email. Please watch Daily Messages, check the Events calendar, scan the campus bulletin boards, share information with friends and colleagues… and start to sample the amazing opportunities of the new fall term!

Maud