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Summer 2005
Looking Ahead
As I stood on the Quad watching the Reunion Weekend fireworks, I
thought about the past academic year— its achievements, its
fresh new beginnings and its poignant farewells. Some of the moments
and faces that came to mind included the opening of the Finger Lakes
Institute, HWS being selected as one of 81 “Colleges with
a Conscience” by Princeton Review, graduating the first class
of the Master’s of Arts in Teaching, and saying goodbye to
retiring faculty members Bill Atwell, John Burns, Mary Gerhart and
Dan McGowan. I am grateful for the active involvement of our faculty,
staff, students, alumni and alumnae in working to implement key
strategic goals and I look forward to the year ahead.
As you may recall, five years ago, we looked at ourselves
with a critical eye and with input from many members of the HWS
family, devised a strategic plan to enhance what was already a strong
liberal arts institution. Through the planning process we found
affirmations of areas of strength and invigorating challenges to
be met.
The resulting strategic plan, HWS 2005, was the compass
by which we directed our efforts—focusing on three categories:
student engagement, academic engagement and fiscal viability.
I am proud to report that we have reached and exceeded
most of the goals we set for ourselves (many of these successes
have been reported in the pages of the Pulteney St. Survey). We
have come much closer to fulfilling our mission of creating an even
stronger student-centered learning environment that is committed
to excellence, globally focused and grounded in values of service
and equity.
So it is now time to chart the course for the next
five years, HWS 2010. It will be an exciting five years that will
encompass the William Smith Centennial, a major capital campaign
and significant enhancements to our vibrant campus community. I
look forward to this effort and the opportunity to join with alumni,
alumnae, Trustees, faculty, staff and students to plan for our future.
The good news is that we are already off to a great
start, with the plans in place for a new studio arts building which
will be named for Katherine Elliott ’66 (see page two) the
renovation of our admissions office, implementation of wireless
technologies and other technology upgrades across the campus and
the renovation of Comstock and Jackson, Potter and Reese residence
halls, are among the projects underway.
I am confident that the members of the Classes of
2005 who graduated in May with their undergraduate degrees and the
first class of Hobart and William Smith Master’s of Arts in
Teaching graduates are well-prepared for the world ahead of them.
Thanks to a committed faculty, they have a broad liberal arts background
to navigate this century of change. Thanks to our dedicated staff,
they have lived in a community that prizes service, citizenship
and teamwork. And thanks to our alumni and alumnae base of support,
they were sustained in their efforts in the classroom and outside
the classroom.
With every best wish, I am,
Mark D. Gearan
President
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