The Courage to Chart Our Own Unique Course from the Brink of Viability to the Heart of Vibrancy

By Lisa Marsh Ryerson 
President of Wells College

Welcome to Reunion 2005!  And what a year it has been for Wells College! Never before has Wells received so much media attention, intense scrutiny, and outpouring of emotion. Everywhere – and I do mean everywhere I traveled – people stopped to ask me about Wells and share their own reactions – which ranged from anger to joy – and everything in between. But, consistent media coverage is good for Wells. It heightens awareness and raises our profile. People who did not know Wells before, do now. It seemed that every time I turned on the television or picked up the paper, I saw Wells. 

And as I return to this podium tonight for my annual Alumnae Address, I am pleased to see many familiar faces and friends. When we gather for Reunion, we celebrate Wells and we celebrate relationships. One of the hallmarks of the Wells experience is that those relationships extend to our faculty as well – and that remains true for today’s students. I hope many of you had the chance to return to the classroom earlier today during Alumnae College. 

I extend a special thanks to Associate Dean of the College Carolyn Denard for leading us through Alumnae College this year – and also for her wonderful session on Toni Morrison. Thank you to this year’s faculty: Assistant Professor of Music Victor Penniman, Assistant Professor of Biology Christina Wahl, and Director of the Book Arts Center Terrence Chouinard, Assistant Director Nancy Gil and the Book Arts Center staff. 

Clearly, as you’ve had a chance to see today, we still have interesting and engaging teachers.

I hope you are enjoying Reunion – catching up and renewing old friendships. I know you join me in thanking your class chairs for their efforts. In addition to the traditional class activities, Alumnae Award ceremony, and the picnic, we will have dinner tonight at the Aurora Inn.

I can hardly imagine a more beautiful setting overlooking Cayuga Lake and enjoying the sunset. More importantly, though, is the extraordinary generosity of spirit and new model of philanthropy the Aurora Inn represents.

Thanks to our unique partnership with Pleasant Thiele Rowland ’62, we have revitalized half a dozen of our Aurora assets, including the Inn.  The Inn had deteriorated to the point that we were forced to close it – just after your last Reunion. And the financial deficit of nearly a half a million dollars annually was a drain on our already precarious financial situation – an unbearable burden for the college.

With clear vision and a sense of purpose, Pleasant Rowland enthusiastically joined us in developing a unique model for higher education’s contribution to economic development.  And we brought our substantial philanthropic energy to serve the both the college and the village.

Pleasant Rowland's depth of generosity is rarely seen in society.  She provides the renovation capital and the management expertise; she capitalizes all losses and will contribute any profit to the College. Over four years, Pleasant Rowland – with her commitment to the college, business acumen, sense of place, and philanthropic spirit – has invested millions of dollars in the college’s village properties. And we have created over 90 new positions, most filled by local residents.

Through this partnership, Wells shares the benefits of philanthropy with our extended community. The College depends on the village and, in turn, the village relies on the college. Our fates are intertwined.

And I encourage you to see our newest project in the village – the renovation of “French House.”  Originally it was the home of Edwin B. Morgan, Henry Wells’ friend and business partner.  It remained in the Morgan-Zabriskie family until 1961, when it was given to the College by John and Lesley Wead Zabriskie.

Whether we know it as Morgan House, or the Zabriskie home, or French House, it remains a symbol of great philanthropy and great friendships. From Henry Wells and E.B. Morgan to our long-time relationship with the Morgan and Zabriskie families – Wells has benefited from their support for generations.

Most recently, Stephen Zabriskie serves as Chair of the Wells College Board of Trustees. Steve is the grandson of Nicholas Lansing Zabriskie and the son of John and Lesley Wead Zabriskie. I want to take a moment to recognize Steve for his dedication and sense of commitment to Wells College. Steve has served on the Board for ten years, always participated in the work of our planning committees, and led the Board with a steady resolve. His courage and his conviction were enormous assets in leading the college through an intense period of reflection and change – culminating with the decision to become coeducational.  Steve is married to alumna Randi Shaw Zabriskie ’74. Steve and Randi are ardent supporters – not just connected to our past – but fervent advocates for the future of Wells College. 

Wells has been fortunate to have long-term, and often multi-generational, relationships with other families as well. Some are represented here tonight. They stand as a symbol of the loyalty and support Wells has benefited from since her founding. 

Unfortunately this year so many of our long-time trustees and leadership donors have died in such a very short period of time – a poignant reminder of the passing of time – and also the passing of an era. 

They were at the heart of the Wells family. They provided visionary leadership and extraordinary giving through trying times. For them, leadership and giving, like the College and the village, were inextricably linked. Their generous gifts allowed us to survive – literally to survive. Yet for too long we have relied on too few. It is now our collective responsibility to steward this College. 

Reunion is indeed a time of recognition, of celebration, and of nostalgia. We celebrate the lives and contributions of individuals, and our own lives. Our individual memories are episodic and relatively static in time; they each represent a snapshot of our version of Wells. 

We also celebrate the collective experience that is Wells College. It is an ever changing, always evolving sense of the College’s progression. Even as Wells’ core values remain largely untouched by time, the Wells experience has changed continually. It always has and it always will. 

This spring as I wrote my introduction for the College’s yearbook, The Cardinal, I returned yet again to Jane Marsh Dieckmann 55’s marvelous history of Wells. 

I noticed that she – I think inadvertently – presents a history of fashion, particularly of wearing pants, at the College. 

In 1938, the Collegiate president proclaimed “Pants Day” - one day each week, students were allowed to wear pants to class, as long as they were not jeans or overalls. The jeans debate carried on for a decade. And they were finally permitted in the dining hall during the time that the class of 1950 was here. But for many more years, students were still required to wear skirts – and due to peer pressure – a string of pearls at dinner. 

By the 1960s, jeans were a symbol of political dissent. In the more subdued ‘80s, “designer jeans” were a symbol of conspicuous consumption. (Of course, I remember wearing the “banned” overalls!) Today, nearly all Wells students wear jeans — a lot. They have long since ceased to be a topic of debate. And now students can’t even imagine a dress code on campus. 

On a more serious note, Jane’s book shows the evolution of the curriculum. In the 1870s, the College had only 11 faculty members – some even without bachelor’s degrees - who tried to provide a comprehensive liberal arts education for those times by offering classes in Latin, Greek, physical sciences, and mathematics. Classes in physical education, hygiene, and Bible study were required. Science education on campus expanded greatly after the opening of Zabriskie Hall in 1906. 100 years ago!

The 1920s were a time of curricular expansion, notably in the social sciences and the introduction of study abroad. It was incredibly rare to have a study abroad program in the 1920s. 

The1940s marked a time of significant curricular change reflecting both rising expectation of college-bound women and our rising standards as a college. 

Those of you who were here in the ‘60s and ‘70s saw the curriculum become increasingly individualized, with most requirements dropped and the addition of majors and minors.

Today, we offer 20 majors and a multitude of concentrations, as well as a self-designed major option that supports the tradition of individualized education. Through our liberal arts curriculum, we offer courses in Investment Strategies, the Asian-American Experience as Literature, Indigenous Peoples of North America, Studies in Contemporary Theology, Human Sexuality, and Software Engineering – just to name a few. Major shifts in the curriculum since those early days also include cross-registration with a number of prestigious schools, including Cornell University. And experiential learning and study abroad programs that are integrated within the curriculum. Clearly, as a careful reading of the history reveals, the curriculum has been revised continuously – as it should be.

Throughout all of the joy and challenge of the last decade, I have read and reread our history, and I believe that the next chapters will be filled with the legacy of risk boldly taken and the courage of a determined community committed to excellence. 

Our annual Alumnae Award – a tradition begun in 1968 to celebrate the College’s centennial – highlights accomplishments of Wells women across fields and generations. And every woman selected reflects the enduring values of the College as well as the unique individuality of our graduates. This year’s recipients – Sister Cornelia Ransom ’51 and Dr. Anne Parker Taylor ’55 – are carrying on the tradition with impressive credentials and contributions. 

No matter where life takes them, regardless of what other responsibilities they shoulder, Wells women serve and advance the College throughout their lives. In the face of both change and challenge, our graduates are one of the College’s greatest strengths. We look forward to celebrating with Cornelia and Anne tomorrow morning.

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Alumnae Award Committee in selecting such outstanding recipients. This group of dedicated volunteers spends hours – literally hours – locked away deliberating and researching. And clearly their efforts are worth it. They select outstanding awardees each and every year! 

As much as we enjoy reminiscing, and recognizing our past accomplishments, our real excitement lies in creating our future. As I have said before -- we must pursue excellence, and we must do so by creating our own unique path, by shaping our own destiny.

Wells is most fortunate to have an extraordinary group of trustees who the College -- philanthropists who have volunteered their time, expertise and energy. In fact, trustees even pay us – through their giving – for the privilege of serving! Although we rely on these individuals to lead, the College’s core values have been a guiding, enduring force. They determine the choices we have made -- and will make. And they continue to guide the strategic planning process. Our core values include:
 

• Excellence and quality: quite simply, excellence and quality drive all that we do; they inform all of our goals. 
• The liberal arts and intellectual discourse: we must raise the level of discourse, reframe the conversation at Wells to focus on what we teach and why. The heart of a liberal arts education – which is our core commitment – lies in questioning and in critical thinking; not a mere delivery of facts or information, but an active inquiry pairing great teachers and promising scholars in dialogue. At Wells, even as we celebrate academic acuity, we must also contribute to the evolution of knowledge. 
• Educating the whole person: the Wells experience encompasses the mind, the body and the spirit. And we are deliberate in guiding students toward their full potential. At Wells, education, by design is holistic.
• Diversity: By this, I mean the full spectrum of whom we educate and who provides that education, and how we shape our curriculum to reflect our understanding that we must prepare students to appreciate complexity and difference. To be fully educated in the truest sense, we must actively embrace new ways of knowing. 
• Size: We are deliberately small, yet it is more than just numbers per se. We value the characteristics of being small; close faculty-student interactions; an individualized and fully participatory education; the ability to really connect with one another. The choice to remain small also brings unique challenges.
• Global citizenship: Wells exists within a larger context. We are not an island unto ourselves. We are situated within the landscape of higher education, the central New York region, the United States, indeed within an international community. Moreover, our students are global citizens, and the Wells experience must educate the whole student with solid preparation for life in a global community. 
• Gender equity and a commitment to women’s education: The move to coeducation does not mark the diminishment of our commitment to women and women’s education. To the contrary – a live and thriving Wells allows us to continue to do what we do best. The women and men educated at Wells – where we are deliberate in our support for gender equity – will be uniquely qualified to contribute to society and our commitment to social justice.

In other words, we must define ourselves, not by whom we exclude, but by what we do. 

Becoming coeducational has provided the College with a moment in time to really look inside and outside of ourselves -- to see our “place in the world.” Wells is positioned for a rebirth. Although we will not immediately solve our over-reliance on the endowment, nor erase our deficit, we have a rare opportunity to summon our finest qualities and share our talents to shape a more positive future. By increasing access to a Wells education, we will make a difference in the lives of many more students. 

I know that over the course of time, it has not always been easy to focus on the possibility of a bright future for Wells College. And looking back over this year, an extraordinary time in the history of Wells College by any measure, the famous first lines of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities come to mind:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the Season of Light, it was the Season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Indeed, in early October, though the sky was a brilliant, crisp, clear blue, the sight of the tents on the lawn and students camped out in Macmillan was anything but “the season of light.”

I understand the anguish and despair many students felt and the loss expressed by alumnae. Yet, I have also seen the College’s perennial struggle just to survive and I know that anguish, too. 

Since the late 1960s when men’s schools opened their doors to women, Wells has regularly considered coeducation as we struggled to balance financial solvency with the pursuit of academic excellence. And that balancing act continues.

As you know, we revisited the issue again during the spring semester 2004. We engaged in dialogue with the campus community. And last year in my Alumnae Address, I shared the possibility of admitting men with you, and held focus groups during Reunion. And even as we continued to communicate with alumnae and friends about the discussions taking place, it was often hard to “get” that this was real.  Perhaps we had discussed it so regularly, that it was a bit like the “girl who cried wolf.” 

This time, however, the trustees, and I am a trustee, knew it was time to break the cycle of year-to-year survival; to end our history of reacting to crisis after crisis.  It was time to get it right for Wells.  Our faculty and staff, our students, you deserve a Wells that is healthy and thriving. 

We investigated coeducation further through extensive internal and external research. We looked at nearly 200 liberal arts colleges and identified three subsets: 

• coeducational institutions;
• historically women’s colleges that transitioned to coeducation; and 
• those colleges that have remained single-sex.

Based on the data, and on our particular position in the marketplace, we concluded that if Wells joined the ranks of historic women’s colleges, we would likely sustain

• improved overall applications and enrollment
• more women applicants and enrollees
• a stronger revenue stream, and 
• a more vibrant campus.

Historic women’s colleges tend to retain their women-centered characteristics because those elements are ingrained in our cultures and our structures. Wells has a long history of supporting gender equity. And that commitment endures.

Nevertheless, we understood there would be a sense of loss and a period of grieving. We honor that loss and the pain it brought. And we expected protest. But we also knew the community would begin to feel a sense of excitement and optimism about our future. We knew that we would emerge from the “winter of despair” in the minds of some, to the “spring of hope.” And we are seeing that happen. 

I have said many times that coeducation is not “the” answer or the only answer. But it gives us a window of opportunity to create a blueprint for our future, for a future. As we have moved through the strategic planning process, we are continually aware that we must reduce our draw on the endowment – which will again be in the double digits at 12%; increase net tuition revenue; and ultimately eliminate deficit spending and achieve a balanced budget. Although we are not there yet, we are moving from a fear of failure toward embracing the possibility of success. 

And I would like to acknowledge my senior team and their role in moving us forward.  They are energized and have worked aggressively to create an operational plan to guide us through the first phase of the transition to coeducation.  Not only did they bring their considerable expertise in higher education to bear, they also worked closely with colleagues at historic women’s colleges such as Goucher, Hood, Colby-Sawyer and Wheaton to take advantage of what they learned during their transitions. 

While intensive work has been done to ensure sustainability, this is just a minimum requirement. Our real goal is a prosperous and thriving future. To get us there, over the past year a committee led by Associate Dean Carolyn Denard and made up of faculty, students, staff and trustees Pat Wahlen ’66, Steve Zabriskie, and Meghan McCune ‘03 has worked together to generate a draft strategic plan that will guide our development over the next five years. 

Faculty, staff, and students have had many opportunities throughout the year to contribute their ideas and share feedback through a series of mailings, meetings, and formal and informal discussions. It is a dynamic and a thorough process, and most people participated actively. As a result of this ongoing dialogue, ideas began to take shape and priorities emerged from what started out as a lengthy “wish list.”

The strategic plan outlines the foundations upon which success will be built and how we will demonstrate that success, including 

• a “sound, relevant, and rigorous academic program” 
• a “respectful, inclusive, informed and vibrant campus culture” 
• a “diverse, engaged and academically talented student body” and 
• a “professional faculty and staff”

This summer, a draft plan will be sent out in the Express for alumnae contribution and feedback to assure that our plan is inclusive, broad, and holistic. The final plan will reflect our shared aspirations so the College can “move into the future with confidence and optimism.”

We have an ambitious outlook and ambitious goals. And with the passing of each day, Wells’ future looks brighter. We now have within our grasp the possibility of freeing ourselves from the inter-related enrollment and financial challenges that have constrained the college for decades. I honor the past, and I look to the future.

And I know a successful future will require the courage to make bold investments – and difficult choices. We will have to make significant programmatic investments, as well as expenditures for facilities and infrastructure. But we will be deliberate and strategic about where we invest. While we will not be able to fund every good idea, we will invest in additional faculty, as well as in facilities and technology support for academics. For example, work has already begun on classroom upgrades. 

We are also in the midst of part one of phase one of athletic facilities enhancement. In the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Student Union – built in 1957 -- we are expanding the cardio, weight, and training rooms to better support all of our students, and specifically our student-athletes. In addition, we are providing much-needed accessibility to the building. Our athletic facility needs improvements in order to support women’s and men’s intercollegiate, intramural, recreational, and health and wellness programs. Athletics are an integral element of a student’s Wells experience as well as a critical approach in our efforts to recruit and retain a talented student body. This summer we are also working on outdoor projects, including rebuilding our tennis courts and adding a men’s soccer field.

Concurrently, we are moving forward with the College’s first academic building in 30 years – the science center. With faculty input, plans for the new science building have been revised to contain escalating construction costs, even as we assure a high-quality facility. The building will be situated in the parking lot between Macmillan and the library. We’re so optimistic about building, that expansion of the Woods Lot parking area will begin this summer. 

Despite slowdowns due to a sluggish economy and our own institutional need to address viability before building a new facility, we have re-vitalized the science campaign.  We are working aggressively to raise the remaining funds needed for groundbreaking. I remain especially grateful to those who have already stepped forward with gifts and commitments that total over $10.8 million – especially our Board and Honorary Board members who contributed over half of that money. The classes who are here for Reunion – the 0’s and the 5’s – have given a total of almost $400,000 to the science campaign. In addition, alumnae in the Friends and Recent Graduates Organization (FARGO) raised funds for equipment for a new computer lab as part of an Independent College Fund of New York technology challenge.

I am excited to tell you about the most recent gift for the science building. It comes from the family of an alumna – Margie Matthews Filter Hostetter – class of 1962. Margie’s brother and his wife, Ed and Marie Matthews of New Jersey, have made a significant commitment of half a million dollars to name the lecture hall in Margie’s memory. For those of you who had the good fortune to know her, you know that Margie was an extraordinary woman. In the spirit of a Wells woman, she served as treasurer of Xerox, one of the highest-ranking women in corporate America, and as our chair of the Board of Trustees. Under Margie’s leadership, we launched the science campaign. It is fitting that Margie’s leadership, generosity and vision will be honored in the new building.

Generosity of this magnitude moves us closer to breaking ground. And the trustees remain committed – in principle and in their giving – to putting a shovel in the ground only when the construction funds are raised, and we have secured the additional $7 million needed to reach that point. 

Success – investing in people, programs, and place – does not come without cost. And to achieve our goals, Wells must raise both annual giving and endowment support. 

Perhaps more so than in any time in our past, I am looking to you to have the generosity of spirit that so many of our earlier generations demonstrated. I need you to dig deeply, to step to the plate. Ask yourself if you are willing to invest to the fullest degree that you are capable. 

Philanthropy comes in all sizes – it’s not just about the level of your gifts, but about the depth of your commitment, the degree to which you are willing to support those things you care about. Ask yourself: does the strength of your giving correspond to the depth of your care?

I can only imagine how Ann Wilder Stratton ’46 might have answered that question.  Her generous bequest will provide a substantial unrestricted gift of millions of dollars to the College. We appreciate this expression of her commitment and the level of her generosity.

I hope that when I ask you to express your commitment, you will respond positively and as generously as you are able. 

And I asked my colleagues at other historic women’s college about giving when their college’s admitted men. They shared with me – and the research confirmed – that most schools saw an immediate dip in giving the first year followed by a sustained higher level of giving.

I know that some of you have decided not to give this year, and while I respect your individual decisions, I am also pleased to know that more than 100 alumnae who had not given in the last three years or more, did contribute this year.

Even in this year of change – and some sadness, anger and protest – you have remained characteristically generous. Alumnae have committed $1.1 million to the annual fund – just ahead of where we were at this time last year.  And we have $400,000 still to raise by June 30. So if you haven’t made your gift, or if you can make another gift, please do so. 

Although Wells is among the top 100 colleges in the country in participation and average gift size, we must continue to raise the level of giving. 

Perhaps most importantly, and most immediately, we must raise enrollment. Anyone who has been paying attention to Wells over the last several decades, who has listened to and read my Alumnae Addresses over the last several years, or who has seen the media coverage this past year – knows that long-term sustained increased enrollment is critical for Wells’ viability.

In fact, even as we choose to remain a small college, we must move well beyond our current enrollment in order to be a healthy college. Projected total enrollment for next fall is only 404 full-time students. And 400 is just too small; we must continue to grow. In fact, we are now one of the smallest liberal arts colleges in the nation. 

And we are required to provide all of the same services for our students that colleges three and four and ten times our size provide for their students. Providing necessary services and ensuring an excellent experience is expensive: it costs us over $40,000 to educate each student each year because our fixed costs are spread among so few.

As a nationally-ranked liberal arts college, Wells is known as a best value. This is our market position. And we remain committed to affordability and accessibility. We must continue to provide adequate financial aid and resist the pressure to raise tuition to levels that would reduce our competitiveness – especially as families are increasingly opting for public education because of the cost. Here in New York, the median family income of students attending the public universities is higher than that of students at private colleges. 

And, although we are diligent at containing costs, over half of our expenses are in personnel. In order to remain true to the breadth of the liberal arts and retain the small class sizes and personal attention that characterize a Wells education, the answer lies not in eliminating positions, but in increasing the size of the total student body and thus increasing net tuition revenue. 

Therefore, we expect to raise total enrollment to 600 full-time students over the next five years. In fact, we are already recruiting juniors and sophomores from the national pool who might be interested in Wells. The College’s summer programs and the 21st Century Leadership Award are now open to men. 

Since October, we have seen a surge in applications. There were 1,035 applications for a place in the class that we will enroll this coming fall. Consider that over the previous five years, Wells averaged 390 applications a year. For decades, the College has struggled to receive 400 applications annually: although we had 477 applications for the class of 1975, that dropped to 416 for the class of 1980; and 366 for the class of 1985, then down to a dangerously low 267 for the class of 1990.

For the last five years, applications have hovered just under 400.  Likewise, our entering classes were small: 148 students arrived for the class of 1975; 167 for the class of 1980; 108 for the class of 1990; and less than 100 the last several years. 

But in August – just 10 weeks from now – we will begin to see those numbers increase as 134 students will enter Wells as members of the Class of 2009.  We also expect 40 transfer students. To date, we have enrolled 26 men.

I can’t say enough about Director of Admission Susan Raith Sloan ’86 and her staff for their professionalism and the systems they have put in place to generate these kinds of results. While it is true that enlarging our pool of candidates and increased awareness of the College are critical conditions for success, the contacts, excellent service, and the hard work of the admissions staff are responsible for “bringing in this class.” 

Many of you have asked me if we lowered admissions standards for the men. The answer is no. The students, all of them, continue to be just as academically qualified as you will remember. They are also geographically diverse, coming from as far away as Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, California, Washington, Hawaii, China, England, Bangladesh and Portugal. In addition, we continue to attract an ethnically and racially diverse student body, one that reflects the range of sexual orientations, and religious and cultural backgrounds.

To put that in Wells’ historical context, educating other than white, Christian women is relatively new to the College. We have made huge strides – and I am proud to say – we have built systems to recruit and retain the most diverse student and faculty populations in the history of the College. And we are more diverse than when you were here – even if you graduated in 2000.  We continue to have intense conversations about what diversity means for us, how can we best achieve it, and how we can do better. We are working toward a community that truly “fosters a culture that respects and embraces interculturalism and pluralism.” 

We must also work to eradicate marginalization, discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression. Even as we are diligent in strengthening our ways of being that are inclusive, we must also root out our ways of being that are exclusive.

A spectrum of worldviews, cultural perspectives, and values challenges us and encourages our growth. It enlivens discussion, expands the curriculum, and presents new models for living together to be tested and to be explored.  This vibrancy is necessary for the health of our campus culture and our relevance in the world. 
All of us are called upon to help build a culturally diverse and academically promising community. And Wells has always had many alumnae actively involved in recruitment.  I want to thank Laura Arpei-Kline, class of 1995, the Alumnae Association’s admissions liaison, for leading the volunteer efforts this year. More than 50 alumnae participated in traditional admissions activities. They attended college fairs, phoned high school students, and invited accepted students to Wells club functions. 

In fact, Jackie Dickinson, class of 1985, recently called Admissions Counselor Marylyn O’Hora Uhnak ’01 and asked for a large supply of the new alumnae admissions referral business cards. Jackie is owner of Dinosaur Dry Goods just up the road in King Ferry. She now sends along a Wells referral card with all of her catalog and on-line order shipments. 

I thank all of you who have assisted Wells in this important endeavor. We have always known that your personal, first-hand testimonials are a powerful influence. And we will continue to call upon alumnae to serve as admissions volunteers. 

I also called on you to send us your daughters and granddaughters, to refer promising high school students, friends and neighbors. Now that we have made the transition to coeducation, your prospective pool of smart women and men has increased dramatically and the results reflect that. This year alumnae referrals generated 19 applicants. Legacy interest has increased as well. And we continue to offer the $10,000 Janet Taylor Reiche ’52 Legacy scholarship.

We are looking forward to enrolling 10 legacy students in the fall.  This doubles the number of legacy students we have seen enroll over the past five years.  The students include  -- because I “walk the talk” – my oldest daughter, Annie Marsh Ryerson, who has spent this past year with the Wells program in Paris; and Andrew Yanco. A.D., as he likes to be called, was the very first male to interview and he is the son of Pam Yanco ’77, our unofficial alumna song leader.

In keeping with our rich lore of ghost stories, I must say that my call for more legacy applicants may have solicited a response from Henry Wells himself. And despite what some have suggested, I don’t think he’s rolling in his grave -- or haunting me!

Henry’s own great-great-great-great granddaughter is among the legacy students who will attend Wells this fall. Stephanie Redmond of Washington State is her class valedictorian, a student leader, and an athlete. Although she was accepted by Cornell University and the University of California at Berkeley, Stephanie chose Wells, she says “because of the intimate attention given to the students, the opportunity for internships built into the curriculum, and the connection with Cornell.” She plans to participate in Wells’ engineering program affiliated with Cornell University.

This is as an important example of the benefit of our strategic relationships with Cornell and other institutions. As I have said, partnerships are stronger than individuals and we simply cannot stand alone in this highly competitive environment. 

And higher education is just that, a highly competitive marketplace. All colleges – and especially small residential colleges – continue to face increasingly complex challenges, including increasing pressures on cost, a stagnant economy, the need to address aging campus infrastructures, declining student aid, and increased student expectations.

For example, students expect top-notch athletic programs. They want to be able to participate in a range of intercollegiate athletics, intramurals, and recreational programs. And given our commitment to educating the whole student, we are compelled to address these needs. This fall we will offer men’s club sports in soccer and swimming; those programs will move to intercollegiate status as soon as is feasible. We will also add cross-country at the intercollegiate level for both women and men. And we will add additional teams over the next several years as part of our strategic plan for athletics.

A strong athletics program attracts student-athletes who are more likely to stay, to be involved in campus life, and to have higher grade point averages. A successful program also contributes to a more vibrant, fun, and energized campus. Athletics are truly a key driver of success in both recruitment and retention. 

And although the natural tendency is to focus exclusively on new student recruitment, in order to increase overall enrollment, we must significantly improve year-to-year retention results. Some feared that the move to coeducation would negatively affect retention. However, our experience this year was consistent with Wells’ retention trends over time. 

Historically, despite occasional blips, approximately 65% of the students who enter with a class graduate with that class. Let me be direct: although we are above the national average, a 65% graduation rate is too low for Wells. We must break this chronic cycle in order to meet our enrollment targets. I’m sure each of you has fond memories of a classmate who started with your class, but who, for any number of reasons, did not stay at Wells to graduate. 

Those of you here for your 50th Reunion might remember that there were 94 women with you in September of 1951, and 61 of you crossed the stage to receive your diplomas in the spring of 1955 – a 65% graduation rate. Likewise, the class of 1980 started out their first year with 167 and graduated 109 – 65%. And the rate has remained remarkably consistent in between and since. 

Admitting men will not solve our retention issues; our academic and co-curricular programs will determine the students who choose Wells – and who stay at Wells. Students are hungry for a challenging intellectual environment. Our society and the complex challenges facing our world demand no less than an educated and critically thinking populace. 

A liberal education is a journey of great purpose. In an age of increasing specialization and fragmentation, the liberal arts offer breadth of knowledge. Students are not accumulating obscure facts or being force-fed political agendas. They are learning to think independently and creatively. They are preparing for lives as contributing citizens in a global society.

Our responsibility as educators is to make sure that we are indeed offering a rigorous education. We will review each academic area to assure that our curriculum is, as we describe in our draft strategic plan, a coherent program of the “highest quality … that is relevant, culturally diverse, gender-balanced, and pedagogically sound.” 
An excellent liberal arts education provides opportunities for both breadth and depth of study. And it is as much about the who as the what. That is, in addition to critically assessing the curriculum and what we teach, we must continue to attract academically promising students, and a faculty who are experts in their fields and dedicated to teaching. Unlike our early history, we now have 50 faculty members, nearly all of whom have doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. 

And we continue to build that expertise. This year we are filling four, tenure-track positions in French, Physics, Religion, and Art History. Next year we will be filling tenure-track positions in Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Organic Chemistry. And if enrollment continues to increase as planned, we will continue to add tenure-track faculty – three per year for the next three years. 

Our searches for new faculty members are selective. We seek extraordinary scholar-teachers – like the professors you remember – who will thrive in this community and help shape it.

For example, André Siamundele will join us this fall as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of French. He did undergraduate work at the University of Zaire, then received his Ph.D. in 20th century French and Francophone literature from Yale, where he also earned two master’s degrees and taught. Most recently, he taught French and African literature at Colby. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Wells, he will direct our study abroad program in Senegal.

Our Senegal program is just one of our many successful study abroad programs that provide students with expanded opportunities and serves as an important revenue stream for the College. Study abroad programs generate upwards of a half a million dollars each year for Wells.

Additional experiential learning options include off-campus study, internships, and undergraduate research – all essential elements of a contemporary liberal arts education. 

Programs that connect hands-on experience with classroom learning have emerged rapidly in the last 15 years. Students now expect they will have opportunities to prepare for careers and graduate school through activities such as internships and community service. Collaborating with professors on original work – another one of our strengths – is a little more rare. While nearly all schools offer experiential learning, at Wells conducting original research, writing a thesis, creating a body of art, or directing an original performance is a credit-bearing requirement in all majors. Thus, students receive maximum learning benefits and build meaningful relationships with the faculty. 

Graduating senior Katherine Gero worked with biology professor Christina Wahl on a project entitled “Using bio-informatics tools to visualize the ligand receptor complex of the Mel-1A receptor complex in Gallus gallus.” Bioinformatics is a battery of computer tools and public access databases that allow investigation and analysis of enormous amounts of genomic and proteomic data.

Katie has accepted a job with a contract pharmaceutical company in central New York and plans to apply to graduate school next year

Katie also held an internship with the University pathology lab in Syracuse. And she isn’t alone: 97% of the graduating class of 2005 completed at least one internship during their time at Wells. 

We are more connected with our global neighbors than ever before. Consequently, internships abroad are increasing. During the past academic year, students held internships at City Hall of the 13th District in Paris; at the National Academy of Applied Sciences, also in France; at the CSR Network, an environmental consulting firm in Bath, England; and at the West African Research Center in Senegal, Africa.
And this summer, Heather Mead, class of 2006, is teaching for the Nambu Board of Education in Japan. 

This year, in addition to these international opportunities, students interned across the United States as well. Half of the first-year class held January internships and many students were sponsored or housed by alumnae and their families.

And the quality of internship options here in the U.S. is excellent. Students have recently interned with: Frick Art Reference Library and the Bank of New York in New York City; Wells Fargo Bank Historical Services in San Francisco; Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Office of Violence Prevention in San Diego; Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina; Laconia Cardiology in New Hampshire; Wachovia Securities in Fort Worth, Texas; and at the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell. 

Of particular note is recent graduate Sarah Jo Beck’s internship this past January with Castle Records in Nashville. While there, she was housed by Pamela Lewis ’80. Sarah Jo was a member of Henry’s VIII and auditioned to be a contestant on American Idol.  She headed back down to Nashville after graduation to pursue a career in music. 

In addition to experiential learning, the co-curricular experience at Wells complements the academic program and contributes to the development of each student as a whole person.  In a time when commuter students are the majority in higher education, we believe we have something very special to offer. From late night discussions, to participating in athletics, to performing on stage -- these are important elements of the Wells’ experience. 

We are an active – and activist -- learning community.  Therefore I was not surprised that many of our students protested the decision to become coeducational.  I understand their pain and their anger.

There was a time when I would have been out there with them – or even leading the protest.  I’m not at all unsympathetic.  In fact, I understand so deeply how important it is to do the very best we can for students – I’m passionate about making Wells the best experience it can possibly be.  And eventually, I knew that this change was our best hope for doing that. 

Just as many of you have come to understand that need for change, I have been impressed by the maturity and depth of caring of our students as they have moved closer to that understanding and, perhaps, acceptance.

Many have moved from protest to participation in transition planning. They are helping to welcome the first coed classes this fall. And their contributions are valuable, such as helping the Assistant Dean of Students for Residential Life Dan Van Vechten develop next year’s housing plan. I know many of you are curious about the outcome: Main and Glen Park will be all-women residence halls for next year. Men will live in single-sex suites in Dodge and on the first floor of Leach. Because it is our most accessible residence, students with mobility impairment will be housed in Weld. 

Following the coeducation announcement, while the media and people off campus often focused on the decision, we continued to care for our students and provide them with excellence in academics and campus life. And in recognition of this work, the students presented Wells’ 2005 Student Life Award to the entire Dean of Students staff. At this spring’s Honors Convocation, Collegiate President Patricia Castro-Vega thanked the division for “…their encouragement and commitment to student life [that] touched all aspects of the community... providing stability during a time of great change.” 

Although we are indeed in a time of great change, that change is rooted in our enduring values and guided by sound strategic planning. 

The essence of Wells’ spirit is reflected in our commitment to excellence and quality; the liberal arts and intellectual discourse; the holistic education of our students; diversity in who we are and what we teach; an individualized and fully participatory education; to preparing our students for lives as global citizens; and to gender equity and a commitment to women’s education.

Three years ago I spoke to you frankly about the state of the college. I said that Wells needed change and innovation, as well as commitment and action. I said, “Wells’ destiny must be by design, not by default. “

You may recall that in my Alumnae Address two years ago, I reminded all of us that it is within our power – and, in fact, it is our responsibility – to shape an excellent future for Wells. I asked you to view change as an opportunity – and I asked you to embrace it. 

And you have. 

Last year I asked you to be open to the possibilities for success and I said that we must act decisively -- Wells could not meander toward a solution. I asked you for your continued generosity and support. 

And indeed you answered the call.

My passion for doing this work, my deep commitment to getting it right, is rooted in you – in our faculty, our campus community, and our students.  I believe in this place, in the quality of our education, and in the people who make it all worthwhile. 
Because I am a student of our history and have such great respect for the noble efforts by those who came before us, I will not let us be lulled into complacency.  We must boldly seize this unique time in our history. 

I remain committed to leading us to enduring excellence. And I call on you – and on the whole of Wells -- for your continued support as we transform from the brink of viability to the heart of vibrancy. 

Thank you.

Delivered Friday, June 10, 2005 at Wells College.