Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

President Manya Whitaker, Chief Operating Officer Pedro de Araujo, and Vice President of Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer Lori Seager will present the Institutional Review's findings and the College's plans for implementation as part of the Work of the College Series.

The findings build on the executive summary shared with campus, which the Board of Trustees reviewed in depth at its July 2026 meeting. From that discussion, the Board identified four priorities moving forward:

• Rebuild the admitted student experience in key markets to bolster enrollment yield
• Strengthen student retention and fundraising before pursuing new revenue streams
• Elevate immersive learning and career outcomes, highlighting the Block Plan as a differentiator that facilitates post-graduate success
• Build our data and analytics foundation to ground major decisions in reliable, consistent information 

This session will cover how the College is putting those priorities into action and what to expect as efforts get underway.

Tuesday, September 1 at 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall | Register

Thursday, September 3 at 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall | Register

The Finance and Administration division will host an open conversation about Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's finances to help attendees understand how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ decides where its money goes.

They will walk through how the College builds its budget, in line with priorities across the institution, and plans for the years ahead, including some of the harder trade-offs that come with running a liberal arts college right now: keeping academic programs strong, funding financial aid, maintaining campus buildings, and supporting faculty, staff, and students all at once.

Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, whether about various funding sources or the budget process intended to keep the College financially sound for the long haul. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Thursday, September 24 at 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall | Register

Many people wonder how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ can have a significant endowment while also facing budget challenges. It's a question being asked across higher education, and this session is designed to help answer it.

Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer Lori Seager and Associate Vice President for Finance Jen Smithwick will lead a clear conversation about how the College's endowment works. They'll explain how the endowment is constructed and invested, why many funds are legally restricted to specific purposes by donor intent, and how Board spending policies are designed to preserve these resources for future generations rather than use them all at once. Attendees will also learn what endowment income supports and why it can't simply be used as a general fund when budgets are tight.

As the College continues important conversations about its institutional strength, understanding how the endowment works provides valuable context. No finance background is needed, and all faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Tuesday, October 27 at 3-4 p.m. | Gaylord Hall | Register

President Whitaker and Officers of the Board of Trustees will host a virtual town hall following the November Board of Trustees meeting. These sessions offer an opportunity to hear directly from college leadership about recent board discussions, institutional priorities, and strategic initiatives shaping the College's future.

The town hall provides insight into decisions and topics addressed during the board meeting, offering transparency into the governance processes that guide the College.

All members of the college community are invited to participate. Each town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community the week after the event.

Monday, November 16 at 2-3 p.m. | Register

Behind access-generating scholarships, unique program offerings, and exciting new capital projects on campus is a network of alumni, families, and friends whose connection to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ inspires them to invest in its future.

Molly Bodnar, VP for Advancement, and her leadership team will lead an open campus session on the work of the Advancement division. They'll walk through how the team builds relationships with alumni and friends of the college, and how annual giving, major gifts, and gift planning work together to support Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.

This session will cover the role of alumni engagement, the basics of philanthropy, and how support for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is cultivated and sustained, offering insight into the work that helps strengthen the College today and for future generations, with plenty of time for questions.

Wednesday, November 18 at 3-4 p.m. | South Hall Commons | Register

Vice President of Enrollment Tony Cabasco will lead this session for a behind-the-scenes look at how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ shapes each incoming class through the admission process.

This session takes up both the art and the science of building a student body: how the office approaches outreach and recruitment, what holistic review actually looks like in practice, and how staff weigh factors like geographic diversity, academic interests, financial aid, and special talents to form classes that reflect the College's values. Given how directly enrollment connects to institutional finances, this is also a chance to understand the landscape and strategies of higher education admissions more broadly.

This is work that defines the College in fundamental ways, and one that touches everyone on campus. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions about yield strategies, waitlist management, access and affordability, or anything else on their minds.

Monday, January 25 at 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall | Register

Interim Dean of the Faculty Sandi Wong will lead a session on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's ongoing accreditation review, walking through what the process involves and what to expect as the College approaches key milestones ahead.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which requires institutions to undergo a comprehensive on-site evaluation once every ten years, alongside a virtual mid-cycle review at the four-year mark. This cycle's review will culminate in the submission of the Final Assurance Argument on November 1, 2027, followed by an on campus visit from the HLC evaluation team on November 29, 2027.

This session covers what the review process entails, how the College is preparing, and what the campus community can expect to see and be part of as the on campus visit approaches. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend.

Thursday, February 25 at 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall | Register

President Whitaker and Officers of the Board of Trustees will host a virtual town hall following the February Board of Trustees meeting. These sessions offer an opportunity to hear directly from college leadership about recent board discussions, institutional priorities, and strategic initiatives shaping the College's future.

The town hall provides insight into decisions and topics addressed during the board meeting, offering transparency into the governance processes that guide the College.

All members of the college community are invited to participate. Each town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community the week after the event.

Monday, March 1 at 2-3 p.m. | Register

President Whitaker will host a session on how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ sets the comprehensive fee. As the College works to be more transparent about budgeting and financial decisions, this session offers a clear look at how the institutional budget comes together.

Attendees will hear how changes to the comprehensive fee affect revenue and how those funds are distributed across priorities such as financial aid, compensation, operating costs, and deferred maintenance. The discussion will include real examples and trade-offs considered in setting the fee, giving a behind-the-scenes view of how financial decisions are made and the values that guide them.

This session covers how tuition is set, budget priorities, and how the College operates more broadly.

Thursday, March 4 at 3-4 p.m. | South Hall Commons | Register