Ford Family Focus: September Updates & Class Highlights

What Does an Interim Leader Mean for the College?

Learn what an interim title means and why it’s used.

You may have seen a few titles that include interim including, Interim Vice President and Dean of the College Scott Wojciechowski, Interim Director of John P. Chesick Scholars Program Diamond Howell-Shields, and Interim Dean of Student life Catherine Mattingly.

What does this mean? An interim title means that someone is temporarily serving in a leadership role while the college determines who will hold the position permanently, providing continuity for students and families in the meantime. Finding the right fit for these positions is important and takes time; the College is proceeding to hire permanent staff deliberately.

College News and Resources

Stay informed and stay connected.

Fall Break Dates: Fall Break will begin Friday, October 9, at 4:00 p.m. Classes will resume Monday, October 19.
Haverford Athletics Apparel: Planning to join us for Homecoming? Get your Haverford Athletics apparel now through October 15 to represent your favorite team!
M. Gessen Event Recording: The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times opinion columnist and author of 11 nonfiction books on authoritarianism, spoke to a full house in Marshall Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 17, for a Distinguished Visitors Program titled "Politics of the Past and Politics of the Future." If you missed it, the recording is available online now and can be accessed using the password, MGessen2026.

This summer, 10 student founders were selected to participate in the Innovation Incubator as part of Haverford's Entrepreneurship Program. This 8-week paid summer experience participants gain practical experience in product development, prototyping, and venture strategy. Learn more about HEP →

The MacIntosh Award honors the Haverford College sophomore who emerged as the top scholar-athlete in their first-year. Elizabeth is a member of the women's volleyball team and was named Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year in 2025.

Two federal grants recently awarded to Assistant Professor of Biology Amy Cooke and Professor of Chemistry Alex Norquist highlight a distinct feature of a Haverford education: opportunities for undergraduates to work on research directly alongside their faculty mentors. Read more about our professors in the latest faculty update →

If you are interested in hosting an event in your area express your interest here.

Saturday, October 3

Join fellow families, friends, alumni, and students on campus for Homecoming! The day features a full schedule of events, including athletic competitions, a leadership panel, and the Homecoming Festival.

See who's coming →

Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 p.m.

Join on campus for a discussion with Karen Hao, the author of this year's campus read, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI. The Campus Read is part of FORD Life, Haverford's experiential student-learning program, and this year's discussions unfold alongside the Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership's theme of AI & Democracy. Can't make it to campus? You can register to join us virtually.

Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25

Registration is now open! From academic sessions to hands-on workshops to photos with everyone’s favorite furry friend, the Black Squirrel, the weekend will allow you to see the College through your students’ eyes. Events will begin the afternoon of Friday, October 23, and run through Sunday morning.

Thursday, October 29, 6:00 p.m.

Join Haverford's growing entrepreneurship community for an evening of learning and connections. Hear from Entrepreneurship Advisory Board member Skip West ’77, Ford Ventures' Ben Powell ’93, HEP Director Shayna Nickel, and connect with other entrepreneurially-minded Fords in the DC area.

Contact Ben Powell ’93 at ben.powell@gmail.com with questions.

Class-Specific Highlight

What to know about this stage of your student’s journey.

First year: Academic Resources For Your Student

Through the Office of Academic Resources (OAR), your student can book peer tutoring sessions for over 40 courses across 17 subjects. OAR also offers academic coaching, providing students with weekly support throughout a semester or over the academic year to help them set goals, strengthen study habits, and develop strategies to set them up for success. While tutoring builds effective study skills on the what of a course, coaching helps build effective study skills by focusing on the how

Sophomore: Major Deceleration This Spring

As your student prepares to declare a major in the spring, beyond the academic information sessions, encourage them to take advantage of the many resources available to them on campus. The Center for Career and Professional Advising is one valuable resource to gather information and knowledge about potential fields of interest through self-exploration, identifying values, interests, and strengths.

Junior: Advanced Degree Partnerships

Is your student interested in pursuing an advanced degree? Encourage them to explore our partnerships with other institutions that can fast-track their master's degree. Explore our accelerated-degree partnerships →

Senior: Senior Thesis

As part of their senior year, your student will complete a Senior thesis, which represents the culmination of their academic experience and is one of the most important and rewarding ways that Haverford realizes its educational mission. This is an opportunity for your student to do original independent research in partnership with faculty members, at levels usually reserved for graduate students. Advice from students who have done it before →

Save the date! Haverford’s Fall for the Ford giving challenge kicks off October 21.

Gifts during the challenge support and expand student activities, health and wellness, career advising through the Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA), athletics, and other services that impact our students’ experiences. With special gift matches for parents and families, your support during the challenge helps Haverford unlock even more support for students.

We hope this newsletter helps keep you in the loop as we continue to work together to support your student’s success. An archive of past editions of Ford Family Focus is available on our website. As always, please reach out to The Office of Alumni and Family Engagement if you have any questions or need additional information.

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