Dear Southwestern Community,
As we come to the close of the academic year, I want to thank all of you for making it such a tremendous success, especially given the challenges we have shared over the past months. The pandemic limited our interactions and presented many unknowns, but Southwestern proved to be a vanguard in difficult times; transforming challenges into opportunities, we not only survived—we thrived and excelled. That is what the liberal arts are all about: To be creative in adversity and adaptable in the midst of change, always guiding us as we strive to make a better tomorrow.
Consider some of our major accomplishments during the two years of the pandemic: creation of a five-year Tactical Plan that is nearing the 50 percent mark on implementation; establishment of a Land Use Task Force that will oversee the transformation of the campus environment in the coming years; an endowment that has reached record levels; and a string of capital improvements that will begin this summer.
I also want to share some remarkable news—93 percent of our 2021 graduating class is currently employed or in graduate school, a testament to the resiliency of our students and the faculty and staff who supported their success. Regarding our incoming students, we have received a record-breaking number of applicants to date (5,519), an 18 percent increase over last year. The increase in applications has coincided with an acceptance rate that is 7.2 percent lower than last year (44.7 vs. 51.9 percent) and the lowest in five years. Most importantly, we have currently received 424 first-year deposits and we expect that number to grow as the next few weeks progress. This class will likely be the fourth largest in school history.
Everything I’ve mentioned above and so much more were accomplished during very challenging times, and I cannot thank you all enough for your dedication and hard work, for your thoughtful and caring responses to the needs of our students, faculty and staff.
I specifically want to thank the faculty members on the Health & Safety Committee for their research expertise: Professor of Chemistry Maha Zewail-Foote, Associate Professor of Biology Martín Gonzalez, and Professor of Kinesiology Scott McLean. Thanks also to our community health professionals Jason Bonick, director of the Counseling and Health Center, and Jennifer Spiller, family nurse practitioner & health services manager. All played critical roles in helping us efficiently manage the pandemic.
Faculty Accomplishments
Southwestern University continues to raise its national profile through the work of our remarkable faculty. Here are a few examples:
- Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer received a $1.5 million Grant from National Science Foundation that will support the success of low-income and underrepresented students within STEM disciplines. Niemeyer is the principal investigator for the six-year project, “Equipped for Success: Science Identity, Community, and Engagement to Promote STEM Student Persistence.”
- Associate Professor of History Jessica Hower published Mary I in Writing: Letters, Literature, and Representation, the first book in a two-volume edited collection. The book is part of Palgrave Macmillan’s internationally renowned “Queenship and Power” series. Hower wrote the introduction with coeditor Valerie Schutte, and she also wrote a stand-alone chapter, “‘Horrible and Bloudye’ or ‘Most Serene and Potent’: Mary I and Empire.”
- Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Rico Self recently received the 2021 Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the National Communication Association. Self received the award—for new scholars who completed outstanding dissertations the previous academic year—for his LSU dissertation, “Ties That Bind: Black Familyness and the Politics of Contingent Coalitions.”
- Associate Professor of Economics and Business Debika Sihi helps different organizations develop marketing campaigns to highlight the importance of budgeting and financial literacy. Recently she shared insights about budgeting for college students in U.S. News & World Report.
- Professor of Music Michael Cooper’s wide-ranging and prolific scholarly career includes seventy world-premiere editions of music by Florence B. Price and ten world-premiere editions of music by Margaret Bonds. The author of the upcoming Margaret Bonds: “The Montgomery Variations” and Du Bois “Credo,” Cooper has given talks on Price and Bonds on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Professor of Philosophy Phil Hopkins completed a second ten-month contract with the Austin Police Department, developing guidelines and formal procedures for selecting and reviewing video training material that may reinforce rather than disrupt larger cultural narratives and stereotypes. The work was recently featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
- A book coauthored by Assistant Professor of Mathematics John Ross and Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Mathematics Kendall Richards, Introductory Analysis: An Inquiry Approach, was released by Taylor & Francis–CRC Press. An inquiry-based exploration of the real number line, it seriously examines fundamental topics in the field of real analysis.
Capital Projects Funding and Improvements
As the result of a new financial plan, we are taking out an $80 million bond to fund key capital projects:
- Athletics facilities will see renovated scoreboards at the softball, soccer, and baseball fields, as well upgrades to soccer/lacrosse varsity field, including the addition of covered seating, and upgrades at the softball field that will include fencing, dugouts, and a new irrigation system. The Robertson Center will get a new competition/playing floor, and new pool starting blocks. Other capital projects slated for the future include expansion of the field house weight room and installation of bleachers at the track.
- Also this summer, the McCombs Campus Center will see ballroom upgrades, IT upgrades, interior improvements, and new furniture. On the campus grounds we will begin a five-year program to replace bike racks and pedestrian lighting will be refreshed. Additionally, interior tile will be replaced at Brown Fountain, mall pavers will be replaced with concrete, red curbs will be repainted, and roads will be repaired on Southwestern Boulevard, Wesleyan and McKenzie, including parking spots.
You will be seeing visible changes taking place all around campus in the months and years ahead. Here are some of the highlights
- Mood–Bridwell Hall: Beginning in summer 2023, the renovation of our second-oldest building will create inclusive community gathering areas, an exciting performance space, electronic classrooms, and a coffeehouse. In addition, the historic upper terrace, which has charmed generations of students, will be reopened for outdoor classroom use and social gatherings. In connection to this project, renovations to the Mundy Building will be completed by May 2023 to facilitate temporary relocation of Mood–Bridwell offices.
- Mixed Use Residence Halls: Planning is also underway for two new mixed-use, LEED-rated first-year and second-year residence halls, scheduled to begin construction in summer 2023. These new, sustainably built facilities will include workout areas, a dining facility, a relocated bookstore, electronic classrooms, meeting rooms, study spaces, and the Office of Admission and Financial Aid.
- Multi-Use Sports Complex: For the first time since Pirate football began in 1908, the University is planning to build a multi-purpose sports complex. Scheduled to begin construction in summer 2023, the complex will seat more than 5,000 and host football, lacrosse, and soccer games as well as special events and performances and commencement ceremonies. A new entrance is also under design on the east side of our historic campus that will welcome all members of the Southwestern community.
- Observatory: The Fountainwood Observatory will reopen for use in August following renovations. This facility will host community events, astronomy education and student research.
A number of other projects approved by the Board of Trustees include:
- Smith Library renovations: Construction currently in progress.
- Mabee Hall renovations: Construction to begin May 2022.
- New Central Utility Plant: Construction to begin summer 2023.
- Renovation of the Cullen First Floor: Construction to begin summer 2023.
- Renovations to the Robertson Center, including new women’s locker rooms and new team meeting rooms: Construction to begin summer 2023.
Tactical Plan
Just two years into the 2021–2026 Tactical Plan, and under the cloud of the pandemic, 18 of the 36 tactics are complete or nearly so. Here are a few examples of how we are working the plan:
- Professional development (Tactic 1.11): A staff training and professional development fund was established in February 2021 with an annual budget of $5,000. A total of $3,543.28 awarded to date, and the first staff members to use it include:
- Associate Director of Alumni Relations Becky Rodriguez: Leadership Georgetown.
- Internship and Employment Developer Austin Painchaud: Leadership Austin – Emerge.
- Manager of Operations Jean Whewell: Texas Library Association annual conference 2022.
- Director of Payroll and Tax Compliance Sally Volling: Higher Education Taxation Institute.
- Alarm/Controls Technician Joel Silva: Alarm Center Monitoring/Dispatch System Online Training.
- Develop a new academic advising program (1.3) that starts with first-year professional advisors and transitions to faculty/staff advisors.
- Six professional academic advisors were hired and started at Southwestern on June 1, 2021.
- To transition from first-year professional advisors to faculty advisors, students will be individually matched with faculty advisors throughout the summer in order for the faculty-student advising relationship to begin in the fall of their sophomore year.
- Build Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity (DIBE) efforts into the structure and processes of Human Resources (2.1): A Title IX coordinator, Kathrine Rallojay, has been hired.
- Ensure that campus buildings and grounds are in good repair and accessible (3:15): A five-year major maintenance plan has also been developed, and a full-time landscape architect, Stephanie Krull, was hired to create a landscaping master plan.
- Maintain strong student-to-faculty ratio (3.7): We hired six tenure-track faculty for the 2021–2022 academic year.
- Assistant Professor of Anthropology Naomi Reed
- Assistant Professor of Biology Jennie DeMarco
- Assistant Professor of Business Raji Kunapuli
- Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Raquel Moreira
- Assistant Professor of Education Raquel Sáenz Ortiz
- Assistant Professor of Sociology Erika Grajeda
- Encourage faculty retention through cluster hires, particularly for faculty of color (3.8): Next year we will make our first faculty thematic hire—three faculty lines to a race, ethnicity and social justice cluster.
Philanthropy Exceeds Goals
Fundraising continues to exceed cash and new pledge goals, and Southwestern secured well over $100 million toward our tactical initiatives during the last four years. While many colleges are experiencing a decline in individual alumni giving, our alumni are participating in fundraising efforts in increasing numbers. In the last quarter of 2021, alumni, parents, and friends of Southwestern committed more than $1.1 million to endowed scholarships and endowed high impact experience funds in response to an anonymous donor’s matching initiative. Twenty-five donors committed at least $40,000 each, qualifying for a $20,000 matching donation. After combining the original gifts with the $500,000 in matching funds, more than $1.6 million was added to Southwestern’s endowment. Giving Day was also a huge success, securing the most-ever Giving Day donors (1,515) with double the dollars we raised last year (more than $631,000).
Strong Financial Outlook
Southwestern’s rich tradition of philanthropy is paying off in a transformational way. The University owns hundreds of acres in Williamson County, some gifted decades ago, and with the extraordinary increase in real estate values in Central Texas we recently sold two noncontiguous parcels, totaling $28 million. The University will allocate $25 million to its endowment, and after expenses use $2.5 million to fund strategic projects including student financial aid, salary equity adjustments for faculty and staff, and upgrades to campus amenities. These land sales, with more anticipated in the future, are the result of the important work of our Land Use Task Force, which is guided by our
Land Value Statement.
I am also pleased to report that our Endowment Market Value (at December 31, 2021) is the highest in the history of Southwestern—$361.1 million. As of December 31, the Endowment earned 21.3 percent, and has consistently outperformed its benchmark over the last ten years. Finally, despite the challenges of the pandemic, we not only ended each year with a surplus, but unlike many institutions we were able to hold classes on campus.
New Food Vendor
We are excited to welcome Aramark as our new campus food vendor, effective June 1. The company, which serves more than 400 colleges and universities nationwide, was chosen among four competing vendors based on the quality and variety of its offerings as well as generous financial benefits to the University.
Aramark will offer high-quality food options that will include items such as those that are locally sourced, vegan, vegetarian, allergen-solution, plant forward, fresh and sustainably sourced. In addition, over the course of the next four years Aramark will offer 16 full-meal plans for students experiencing food insecurity, a 24-hour mini-market, and a nutritionist who will provide wellness services to all students, including student-athletes. The company will also provide coupons to faculty who wish to take a student to lunch.
With this agreement we anticipate increased food service usage by students, staff, and faculty with expanded catering services and more venues including a coffeehouse in Mood-Bridwell, a mobile snack and beverage cart on the library deck, and an additional food venue at one of our new residence halls. There will also be a new look and feel in the McCombs Campus Center’s Commons and the Cove beginning this summer.
New Assignments
In order to create a tighter link between recruiting and retention, I’ve asked Tom Delahunt, vice president for strategic recruitment and enrollment, to oversee Athletics and launch a national search for a new Athletics Director. We are very thankful for Vice President for Student Life Jaime Woody’s service in overseeing Athletics, and also thanks to Glenn Schwab, who will continue to serve us as senior associate athletics director.
Awards and Honors
I am very proud of Southwestern’s newest Fulbright recipients:
Catherine Hiebel ’22 and
Melina Boutris ’22! Catherine will travel to Spain as an English teaching assistant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and Melina will travel to Austria as a teaching assistant through Fulbright Austria. In addition,
Eugenia Agobe ’23 was named a
Newman Civic Fellow, and two Southwestern students were awarded
Benjamin Gillman International Scholarships to study abroad this summer and fall.
Sierra Burton ’22 plans to use her scholarship to study abroad with SU European Cultural Explorations in Summer 2022 and
Suleman Khan ’25 plans to use his scholarship to study abroad in Japan in Fall 2022 with ISEP. Our University also garnered a number of athletic honors this year, including three All-Americans, seven All-Region selections, two Coach of the Year awards, one Player of the Year award, and one Newcomer of the Year award.
Faculty/Undergraduate Research
Our faculty and students continued to show why Southwestern is a leader in undergraduate research. This summer more than 53 students will be working with 20 faculty members. Here are two examples of these important collaborations:
- Assistant Professor of Physics Cody Crosby and three of his students—biology and business double major Andrew Vergote ’21, physics major Katie Rosencrantz ’22, and physics major Jonathan Smart ’23—collaborated on an innovative research project that may change how we manufacture human tissue. (Article 1, Article 2)
- Associate Professor of Theater Sergio Costola, and theatre majors Campbell Duffy ’22, Jamie Hotaling ’23, and Dane Parker ’22 created G.H.O.S.T. Unit: The Live Event, a devised theater performance to be featured at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
- Communication studies major Demi Tomasides ’22 presented her paper “Othered: The Black and White Portrayal of Neurodiversity in Grey’s Anatomy” in March at the 2022 Alpha Chi National Convention in Austin, Texas. Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Lamiyah Bahrainwala supervised her project.
- Spanish majors Evelyn Eason ’22 and Danielle Perales ’23 presented papers at the Latin American and Latinx Studies Symposium at Rollins College on April 8. Eason presented “Poesia Indígena y Ecofeminismo en la Obra de Irma Pineda Santiago (Indigenous Poetry and Ecofeminism in the Work of Irma Pineda Santiago).” This presentation is based on her Spanish honor thesis. Perales presented “La Importancia de Conocer: El Humanismo Lúdico en Diarios de Motocicleta (The Power of Knowledge: Ludic Humanism in The Motorcycle Diaries).” Both presentations were delivered in Spanish and stemmed from upper-level courses taught by Associate Professor of Spanish María de los Ángeles Rodriguez Cadena.
Faculty/Staff Events
Many organizations refer to themselves as communities, but this holds particularly true at colleges and universities, where faculty, staff, and students mingle in a marketplace of ideas, and ideals, where the shared language is the exchange of knowledge, where the common goal is making the world a better place. Everyone at SU plays an important role—our students depend on both faculty and staff to have successful learning experiences, and our campus would simply not function without the staff who work, often around the clock, to keep our facilities running.
We are reviving a tradition for an end-of-year celebration for faculty, and we’ve started a new tradition with the very successful staff barbecue we held last year, where more than 230 staff attended. Mark your calendars for the Second Annual Staff Barbecue, May 24.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of opportunities to get to know their faculty and staff colleagues. I am planning a monthly staff breakfast club for the upcoming year, and I will once again host a faculty/staff welcome reception at my home this fall.
And once again we will invite all SU faculty, staff, and students to celebrate together at our next SUnity Day on September 13. It is a day for the Southwestern community to celebrate one another in person. This all-day, cross-campus event is committed to building and strengthening community among faculty, staff, and students through a focus on those things that bring us together as a community of ideas. It’s a great opportunity to visit with local professionals, do team-building, practice mindfulness and meditation, engage in community art projects, share a meal, enjoy a film and relax!
It is in this spirit that I close this message and anticipate a new academic year ahead. Incoming and returning students will find more amenities on campus this fall—in addition to new food options, the campus will be dotted with various outdoor games, including ping pong, and a new outdoor fire pit will warm our chilly evenings next fall.
Thank you for being a part of the Southwestern community, for making this past year one to remember, and for your commitment to making this institution one of the finest liberal arts universities in the country.
Sincerely,
