Dear Southwestern Community,
Welcome back to Southwestern and our 183rd spring semester! While the break seemed to fly by, a great deal has happened over the past few weeks. With February still looming ahead, my number one New Year’s resolution is to buy a snow shovel. After two blizzards in three years, I’m not taking any chances.
Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to our facilities team for their fast and effective efforts to stem the tide of this latest round of freezing weather in December. As the temperature dropped, our facilities team took the following precautions:
- Shutting down the athletic fields’ water supply, wrapping exposed spigots, slow-dripping faucets;
- Adjusting all mechanical room heaters to protect equipment as best as possible, and covering all building exterior vents with styrofoam insulation—the historic buildings we have on campus need outside air to minimize moisture build-up that causes rusted pipes and fixtures;
- Opening interior attic vents to help provide heat to the attic fire suppression systems throughout campus, and closing all exterior vents/dampers to keep cold air out of habitable spaces;
- Checking on the boiler systems throughout the freeze, ensuring all pumps and motors were properly operating to keep water circulating to help prevent freezing pipes and coils;
- Campus generators were double-checked the day of the freeze in preparation for possible power outages.
A Facilities team of eight worked over winter break to catch any major/minor issues and minimize impact. My thanks to them all:
- Brandon Quintanilla, manager of the physical plant;
- Bill Lane, central plant operator;
- Trinidad Fajardo, supervisor of building maintenance services;
- Tom Cunningham, supervisor of electro-mechanical services;
- Tom McDermott, building maintenance technician;
- Rick Towe, HVAC technician;
- Phil Lindinger, building maintenance technician;
- Stephen Downey, building maintenance technician and locksmith.
Even with all of their preparations, the record-low temperatures still caused problems: fire suppression pipes burst in eight student apartments. Six are back online, and the students in the two affected apartments will temporarily take up residence in open rooms until the final repairs are completed in early February. We have upgraded the insulation in the apartment attics to prevent this from happening in the future. I also want to thank Coleen Roche and Allison Everett of Student Life, and all of the custodial staff who worked extra hours to clean up the mess from the burst pipes.
Education Destination
While we can’t control the weather, Vice President for Strategic Recruitment and Enrollment Tom Delahunt and his team have been expertly managing enrollment. Despite national trends that show undergraduate enrollments dipping, we are showing 5,253 applications to date (a 19% increase over last year at this time), and 63 Deposits to date (a 31% increase)—an institutional record.
While the debate about cost versus ROI continues about the value of an undergraduate college degree, the
evidence is abundant that on an annual basis, median earnings for bachelor’s degree holders are 84 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma.
Building Boom
With spring comes the start of a number of exciting building projects, including the $16 million renovation of historic Mood-Bridwell Hall, which will begin immediately after Commencement. This year will also see construction beginning on our new first- and second-year residence halls. We are pursuing LEED Gold ratings for these buildings, which will feature meeting rooms, workout spaces, and a professional-grade projection room for classes.
Athletic Director Ken Ralph is working with facilities in the planning phase for the new multi-use sports complex, which will include a stadium to be used for football and commencement. Construction will begin this summer.
I hope you’ve noticed updates to the Commons over winter break, including new furniture and flooring and a beautiful mural created by Thira Schlegl ’23. More furniture will be arriving throughout the semester and over the summer in the Commons, the Servery, The Cove, and the outdoor patio. They will all have an updated look.
And, speaking of furniture, Student Life will be adding lounge furniture to Bishop’s Lounge. This spring, the space will live up to its name, and students will enjoy doing just that, lounging!
Strong Philanthropy
Vice President for University Relations & Strategic Initiatives Paul Secord and his team continue their strong showing in philanthropy. Fundraising for the first six months of the year surpassed $7,150,000 in cash received, exceeding last year's mid-year total by nearly $2,000,000, and we are on pace to significantly exceed last year's cash totals.
The comprehensive campaign, still in its silent phase, has exceeded $113,000,000 in gifts and pledges and every member of the campus community should be holding the evening of Friday, April 14 on their calendars for an exciting and momentous announcement.
Southwestern will be represented at the CASE District IV Conference in April, with University Relations representatives presenting "A New Model For University Career Services and Alumni Engagement." Adrian Ramirez, director of the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), and Megan Frisque, associate vice president for alumni and parent relations, will present on how Southwestern restructured campus career services, moving the CCPD to University Relations with a goal of increasing opportunities for alumni, parents, and other members of the SU community to contribute to student career readiness and professional development.
A Green Future
Thanks to Stephanie Krull and students, our campus looks more welcoming to two-legged and four-legged visitors alike. On my walks, I not only see an abundance of deer and squirrels but also an impressive variety of bird life. I love hearing the calls of bright red cardinals during nesting season and the comical mimicry of our state bird, the mockingbird. A documentary I highly recommend for bird lovers is The Central Park Effect. Here are some happenings on SUs environmental front:
- The Cullen Pollinator Garden, which we hope to extend around Fondren-Jones, the Welcome Center, and eventually around Mood. This native-plant pollinator garden represents our participation in the Bee Campus program sponsored by the Xerces Society. Down the road, we could extend this pollinator corridor through the campus, serving as a fitness trail that winds through campus and around our athletics facilities.
- Sustainability ambassadors are applying for a grant from the Native Texas Plant Society of Texas due next month to use for additional native beds around Fondren-Jones.
- Aiming to improve the Community Garden, Stephanie is consulting with a local urban farming group in Austin who help people and groups improve their urban farming practices.
- Our new Director of Spiritual Life, Dr. Ron Swain, is working with several campus participants on placing a Rotary Club Peace Pole, possibly in a contemplative shade garden between McCombs and the Chapel.
- We will engage a consulting firm to conduct a sustainability audit of our campus that will guide our future efforts and resources. In addition, the SU Sustainability Committee is bringing in a professional from Indiana State University to advise on future sustainability programming.
- A new position is being advertised for a post-baccalaureate intern in sustainability programming. This position will provide coordination and oversight of all campus activities focusing on sustainability in addition to developing and implementing new programs or activities and will report to the Vice President for Student Life.
New Life in Student Life
SU students will be on the road this spring thanks to a new student life van (and a second one on the way) available for
cultural and recreational trips, including outings to Whirlpool Cave, Guadalupe Peak, San Marcos River (kayaking), the Texas Outdoor Leadership Conference, and the March 4 Houston rodeo (fifty tickets are available). There are new ways for students to celebrate this year. Our seniors will kick off their last semester with Mardi Gras: Krewe du Piracy ’23, on February 15. I am also pleased to announce our new undergraduate Hall of Fame: The 5 Points of Pirate Pride. The accolade is emblematic of our most exceptional and multi-faceted graduating students, five of whom will be selected by panels of faculty, staff, and junior-class student leaders.
Other good news on the student front: there will be a higher rate of pay for our hard-working RAs starting next year. Also, this May, we will have our first-ever evening commencement right here on campus. As a testament to spending the majority of your college careers during a pandemic, all seniors will be receiving a special cord as part of their commencement regalia.
A longtime trend in higher education indicates that students need more immediate therapeutic counseling, and Student Life is responding with new counseling spaces in Prothro, including a new Therapy Room for trainees and a new space for group counseling and additional programming.
Who let the dogs out? Well, mine are growing in maturity and good behavior and are asleep in my backyard, but it is none other than trustee Claire Peel who will be coming on campus this spring with her comfort dogs. Sun City Pet Partners will bring therapy dogs to campus twice a month, with the first session on Tuesday, February 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bishop’s Lounge.
Dr. Swain is hosting listening sessions with faculty, staff, and students to reintroduce spiritual life back to campus. He recently played a central role in Georgetown’s Martin Luther King Day events, which included an annual prayer breakfast, a noon march, and an afternoon program sponsored by the Georgetown Fellowship of Churches. Dr. Swain also spoke to a peaceful gathering at the courthouse sponsored by the Wilco Patriots, who are dedicated to the relocation of the statue of the confederate soldier. He encouraged the attendees to create a welcoming space for ALL our beloved brothers and sisters in Georgetown and Williamson County.
Our Vice President for Student Life Brit Katz had the honor of serving as emcee for the NCAA Division III National LGBTQ+ Awards at the NCAA convention in San Antonio on Friday, January 13.
Academic Diversity Initiatives
I am pleased to share with you the progress we are making in a number of diversity initiatives in Academic Affairs.
- Dean Alisa Gaunder organized a panel, "Fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Faculty Evaluation Processes,” for the January AAC&U meeting currently underway. Her panel includes faculty from Furman, Rollins, Rhodes, and Southwestern.
- Congratulations to Professor of Spanish Laura Senio Blair, who has been chosen to participate in the ACS Mellon Academic Leadership Fellows program, a three-year initiative aimed at expanding the demographics of academic administration.
- In fall 2022, 30% (36/120) of SU's Full-Time Faculty are of Color, compared with a national average of 23% (schools that share our Carnegie class).
Mark your calendar for our 41st
Brown Symposium, Feb. 21-23, titled “Radical Imagination: Art & Social Change.” Organized by Kimberly A. Smith, professor of art history, and Eric Selbin, professor of political science, the symposium is a Priority Event, which means that no student, faculty, or staff member may be denied the opportunity to attend because of a conflicting meeting or event.
Nurturing a Campus Culture
Last November, our campus experienced a deeply troubling hate incident, when SUPD received a report of a noose hanging on a restroom door in Ruter Hall.
Over break, I had the opportunity to reread a poem deeply meaningful to me by John Masefield, Britain’s poet laureate, that he wrote for the 1946 inauguration of the chancellor of the University of Sheffield in the aftermath of World War II. I include it here as a reminder of why all of us are here today, continuing the work that began almost 200 years ago on the plains of Central Texas:
There are few earthly things more splendid than a university.
In these days of broken frontiers and collapsing values,
when the dams are down and the floods are making misery,
when every ancient foothold has become something of a quagmire,
wherever a university stands, it stands and shines;
wherever it exists, the free minds of [people], urged on to full and fair enquiry,
may still bring wisdom into human affairs.
There are few earthly things more beautiful than a university.
It is a place where those who hate ignorance may strive to know,
where those who perceive truth may strive to make others see;
where seekers and learners alike,
banded together in the search for knowledge,
will honor thought in all its finer ways,
will welcome thinkers in distress or in exile,
will uphold ever the dignity of thought and learning,
and will exact standards in these things.
They give to the young in their impressionable years,
the bond of a lofty purpose shared,
of a great corporate life whose links will not be loosed until they die.
They give young people that close companionship for which youth longs,
and that chance of the endless discussion of the themes which are endless,
without which youth would seem a waste of time.
There are few things more enduring than a university.
Religions may split into sect or heresy;
dynasties may perish or be supplanted,
but for century after century the university will continue,
and the stream of life will pass through it,
and the thinker and the seeker will be bound together
in the undying cause of bringing thought into the world.
To be a member of these great societies
must ever be a glad distinction.
I would like to express my appreciation to Vice President Brit Katz and the faculty and staff who quickly responded to the incident. Dean of Students Shelley Story immediately met with affected students and their parents. Coach Joe Austin and AD Ken Ralph held a meeting with the entire football team, and the students relocated to another residence hall.
Our community has spoken out against the incident at Ruter, but as author Bell Hooks has observed, “What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.”
To that end:
- I will conduct a town hall meeting with students of color.
- We will sponsor mindfulness workshops, continue Campus Conversations, and host a training lunch for selected faculty and staff.
- Offer Spanish lunch sessions for staff.
- Translate the Parent Portal into Spanish, as well as select Admission print materials and financial aid videos.
- We will continue to diversify our faculty, staff, and trustees.
- SU’s first Title IX coordinator, Katie Rallojay, was hired last year, and we recently hired Brianna Pierce as coordinator of student inclusion and diversity. We are also hiring a Hispanic program coordinator position.
Final Thoughts
We have been a place of learning for 183 years. Part of that learning process is how to treat each other with empathy and respect. As writer Zadie Smith observed, “Progress is never permanent, will always be threatened, must be redoubled, restated, and reimagined if it is to survive.”
Over the break, I had some extra time to walk a little more, recalling Kierkegaard’s letter to his niece: “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being. I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But if sitting still — and the more one sits still — the closer one comes to feeling ill. If one just keeps on walking everything will be all right.” I have resumed my Friday 7:30 a.m. walks with the community. See you on the trails.
Sincerely,
