2023-24 Provost's End-of-Year Letter Provost Lena Hill

Dear Colleagues,

Every June, I am struck by the calm of Lexington. Our joyous commencement ceremonies conclude a busy academic year with the pomp and circumstance our students deserve. This year, these celebrations unfolded against the backdrop of widespread protests across the nation. Reflecting on this reality leaves me feeling particularly grateful for all you do. Regardless of our discipline or area of expertise, we collectively provide spaces for learning that give W&L students tools for engaged citizenship. Turbulent waves in the world may await our graduates and returning students alike, but I remain confident in the preparation you give them. Indeed, contemplating your many accomplishments drives home the strength of our academic enterprise.

Academic Affairs Accomplishments and Continuing Efforts. Last September began with the inaugural Provost's Lecture by Professor Brandon Hasbrouck in the law school, an inspiring event focused on building community around extraordinary faculty productivity. We will soon announce our next speaker, so please save the date of the second Provost's Lecture on September 12 at 4pm in University Chapel. Recently awarded endowed professorships similarly recognize faculty excellence. Your contributions to committees facilitated progress across W&L in the face of momentous changes both beyond and within our institution. The AI Hub offered superb workshops to guide our approach to the quickly evolving landscape of generative AI. The General Education Implementation Committee collaboratively developed student learning outcomes and will be inviting faculty to contribute new courses or adapt current ones in preparation for the new undergraduate curriculum launch in fall 2026. The Student Perceptions of Teaching committee enabled undergraduate faculty to adopt important processes for receiving course feedback. The Faculty Handbook Revision Committee is preparing to commence the critical work of improving this guiding document for all faculty.

I hope you have reviewed the President's Report with its stories behind the data points of our many successes. Exemplary programs and initiatives facilitated by the Office of Community-Based Learning led to our receipt of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. We continue to celebrate impressive fellowship success and career outcomes, with our law school ranking third in the country in J.D. required employment. We also benefitted from a faculty focus on Constructive Dialogue, a grant-supported initiative that will continue developing a toolkit for creating spaces for difficult conversations across our campus. New course loads will begin this year, and Fall Academy will include sessions providing pedagogical tools for adjusting to new class sizes. These and other useful sessions will run from August 19-30. The keynote will feature Emory Political Science Professor Andra Gillespie who will prepare us to engage thoughtfully leading up to the presidential election. Free access to sources like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal can further connect you to insightful debate around current events. The Museums will launch a new exhibition on August 28, and the Mudd Center will lean into its theme, "How We Live and Die: Stories, Values, and Communities." Stay tuned for the many other events sponsored by academic centers, departments, and programs.

Welcomes and Goodbyes. We will do this work with many new colleagues and without some longstanding faculty who have been stalwarts in our community. This July, we welcome 22 tenure stream faculty, six non-tenure stream faculty, two post-doctoral fellows, and as of today, 21 full-time visiting faculty members. The Academic Affairs leadership team is welcoming University Registrar Melissa Neal, Director of the Harte Center JT Torres, and Director of the Institutional History Museum Matt Davis. We are excited about new leadership roles for Freda Coleman-Jackson as Assistant Dean of Career Strategy in the law school, and Professor Melissa Kerin who will direct the Mudd Center. To our nine retiring faculty members and 16 staff retirees, we bid you a fond farewell and wish colleagues pursuing new adventures at other institutions much success.

Listing the arrivals, departures, and new roles of our colleagues cannot do justice to how these changes impact our community. Much of the pleasure we derive from our work comes from those we daily row alongside, and I cannot imagine a finer group of colleagues for navigating the still water as well as the storms. We accept a trust as members of the W&L community, and our educational mission assumes a heavier sense of societal obligation during tempestuous times. But if we cannot do this work well, who can? So, as you enjoy the cadence of your summer schedules, I hope you anticipate the autumn with the earnestness that accompanies a recognized challenge. Stay engaged with the world around us, find renewal in all that brings you joy, and refuel ahead of the fall. Let's also celebrate our tremendous year.

With gratitude and wishes for a happy summer,
Lena