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Welcome back! It's
wonderful to see you walking across the campus and
using the new Campus Center! That's the big news, of course.
The
Campus Center opened on schedule on August 25, and it's already
bringing
the Smith community together in new ways.
I am writing to provide an update
on a few issues that I know will be
of interest to you.
At the end of the spring term,
the Housing and Dining Task Force issued
its report, which can be found on the Web at www.smith.edu/rltaskforce.
This year, we will decide how to implement its recommendations.
In a
very short time, I will be appointing two small groups,
one to address
the task force recommendations on theme housing and the
lottery system,
the other to consider changes in dining. The group working
on dining
will need to develop a plan with careful consideration
of cost. In
response to student desire, we want to offer more options
-- in menu, in
hours, in places to eat (like the Campus Center), and in
meal plans -- but
we have to achieve that with attention to economy.
That brings me to the subject
of the budget. Like most colleges and
universities, Smith is facing some financial challenges. The decline in
the stock market has decreased the value of our endowment, financial aid
costs have risen, and health insurance costs for employees have also
increased significantly. In order to address these challenges, we are
looking very carefully at our operations, trying to determine where we
can achieve efficiencies. We have reorganized the Ada Comstock
Scholars' office, for example, moving Sid Dalby, the admissions director
for the program, into the admission office, and Erika Laquer, the
program's director, to the Class Deans' office, where she will serve as
Dean of the Ada Comstock Scholars. In the process of making the
college's operations more efficient, we will need to eliminate some
staff positions, but we are trying to minimize job loss by the use of
retirement incentive programs and internal transfers, which will allow
opportunities for employees whose jobs are affected to move into other
positions. I feel very strongly that we owe it to you and your families
to run the college as economically as we can, thereby moderating fee
increases and devoting our resources to the areas that I feel are most
essential -- the academic program and financial aid.
Some students have asked how
we can build wonderful new facilities like
the Art Museum and the Campus Center in the context of reduced revenues
and budget reductions. Planning for those facilities took place several
years ago, when the economy was stronger. They are being financed
principally by gifts that are specifically dedicated to those projects.
Furthermore, even in the context of budget tightening, Smith must
continue to do new things. Like any strong organization, the college
continually works to maintain its excellence; this effort requires fresh
expenditures and even some reallocation of resources.
This year we will graduate
our first class of engineers -- the first
engineering class ever to graduate from a women's college. We are
welcoming eight new tenure track faculty to campus. Unfortunately, we
have one important loss from the faculty and administration. Brenda
Allen has accepted a very exciting opportunity at Brown University, and
Fletcher Blanchard is replacing her as Acting Director of Institutional
Diversity this year, while we search for her replacement. In the area
of facilities, the new fitness center, financed by a gift from the Olin
Foundation, will open late in the fall. We have lots of exciting events
planned, many in the new Campus Center. I look forward to seeing you at
them and to a terrific year.
Sincerely,
Carol T. Christ |
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