91����

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Welcome and welcome back! I hope that your summers were fulfilling, restorative and filled with meaningful and fun experiences. It’s wonderful to see you on our campus paths, in our academic buildings, and around town. You bring the joy that is learning, living, and working here!

It’s especially meaningful to send this message of welcome this year. Institutions of higher education and their communities are under intense scrutiny, as views about what and how colleges and universities teach are asserted. 91���� is a place that has, since our founding, maintained that “free inquiry and the open exchange of ideas” are requirements for “an education in the liberal arts.”

We are bolstered by the essential principle of academic freedom, which was enshrined in the 1957 Supreme Court decision in Sweezy v. New Hampshire. In the decision, Chief Justice Earl Warren, wrote, “No one should underestimate the vital role in a democracy that is played by those who guide and train our youth. To impose any strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders in our colleges and universities would imperil the future of our Nation.” The circumstances in Sweezy seem particularly pertinent today, and I invite you to read more about the decision via the as we re-engage with each other and our shared academic endeavor.

I extend a special welcome to the class of 2029, whom I have met at IPOP, GSP, PCPOP, and during New Student Orientation. I am particularly thankful for our international students' presence, and their bravery and persistence, championed by the dedication and partnership of the Office of International Student Affairs. I also met students who returned early for community building in residence halls, preparations of our academic spaces, and practices for fall sports. I want to thank the many dedicated student leaders, faculty, and staff who have created these experiences for you.

I welcome faculty and staff who are new to 91����! We welcome your vibrant contribution to our mission of liberal arts education and your commitment to our remarkable students in their curiosity, intellect, energy, and joy. As we begin the new academic year, please join me in welcoming our new Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, Ruth Feingold, who joined 91���� on July 1! In her proven experience and inspiring vision, she exemplifies and furthers our commitment to academic excellence and the educational experiences that 91���� fosters.

I will look forward to seeing many of you at the third annual 91���� Colloquium in HSSC Auditorium on Wednesday, August 27 (times below) and anticipate your questions and our conversations.If you are unable to attend in person, Webex meeting links are posted on the SharePoint site, where the videos and PowerPoints also will be posted after the event. The topics are:

• Finances of the College (11 a.m. to noon)
• 91���� in the Legislative Landscape (1 –2 p.m.)
• The Weingart Civic Innovation Pavilion in Renfrow Hall (2-3 p.m.)

And I’m very much looking forward to seeing us all gathered at the All-Campus Picnic starting at 5 p.m. in the JRC (Joe Rosenfield Center) courtyard. See you there!

In our continuing co-creation of the College, we will have a chance to gather to learn more about the four actions being initiated this year in the strategic plan: faculty workload, a culture of recognition sustainable enrollments, and CERA and Environmental Studies and stewardship. You can learn more by attending the first Scholars’ Convocation of the year on Sept. 4 from 11 a.m. – noon in JRC Room 101. The topic will be “91����’s Strategic Horizon”. Along with Jerry Seaman, special Advisor to the president for strategy, I will discuss the higher education landscape and share a vision of 91����’s two-year and longer-term outlooks as shaped by the strategic plan, Knowledge Into Action. From paradigm shifts to specific actions, this Convocation will delve into how our individual and institutional relationship to a strategic horizon can shape our experiences and ambitions at and for 91����.

This summer, I discovered the Driftless Region at the intersection of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, a region thus named, I learned, because millennia ago, glaciers did not drift there. I read, hiked, and wrote and the bluffs and dramatic landscapes did indeed give me new perspectives, both on the long history of human endeavors and of our College, and on the pressing moments before us. In closing, I will cite the renewed meaning that the words stitched into the Iowa state flag since its design in 1917 have for me now: “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” The work we do, the knowledge we seek, the discoveries we make all make those words more vital and possible.

Thank you for your presence and your resplendence.

Warmly,

Anne F. Harris

President