Dear L&C Community

As I sit down to write this letter, I am filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude. Gratitude that I am part of a community that is so strong and resilient. And gratitude that the first response of community members in times of challenge—or opportunity—is “What can I do to help?”

This has been an academic year of both highs and lows for Lewis&Clark. A year when the talent and hard work of our community have paid off in amazing accomplishments—and a year in which difficult challenges tested our resolve.

On the achievement side, faculty won recognition for their outstanding teaching, for the contributions that they have made to scholarship in their fields, and for the service they have provided to the many communities in which they work. And the college, as a whole, was named a top producer of Fulbright scholars, one of only 12 colleges and universities in the nation to be so designated.

We also made progress this year in nonacademic areas. We launched programs to make our students feel more welcome and supported and unveiled a freshly renovated student center where they can gather and socialize. We also grew our connections in the metropolitan area, initiated a program to model how to engage in civil conversations on difficult topics, and came within a hair’s breadth of wrapping up our Exploring for the Global Good fundraising campaign.

And we did this all while facing some daunting challenges: a historic snowstorm in February, a dis- ruptive cyberattack in March, and a horrific accident that cost the life of one student and injured two others last fall.

In each of these situations, our community stepped up. They offered support and compassion where they were needed and creativity, flexibility, and many, many long hours of extra work at every turn. I couldn’t be prouder or more honored that these are the people with whom I get to spend my days— or more convinced that this is the kind of community around which we can build an even brighter future for our wonderful institution.

You will be hearing a great deal more from me in the days ahead about that future and how you can get involved in planning for it. Our first step will be to update our mission statement and strategic plan to better clarify our identity and strategic directions as an institution. We will be asking ourselves a number of questions, including “What are our true institutional strengths?” and “How should we invest in those distinctive programs to make them even stronger?”

Once we have our strategic directions determined, we will launch a new fundraising campaign—one that is designed to prioritize programs critical to our future.

I can’t wait to get started on these endeavors—and to partner with all of you in making them a success! In the meantime, I wish you and your loved ones a very relaxing and joyful spring and summer.

With gratitude for your support and excitement for the future,

Robin Holmes-Sullivan, PhD
President