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As we say goodbye to the 2023-2024 academic year, please join me in congratulating our graduates one more time! On May 4, our commencement ceremony celebrated the hard work of 229 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree candidates. It was a joy to commemorate their accomplishments with the families, friends, faculty, and staff who offered support along the way. I was honored to speak alongside Valedictorian Emma Kanne and Commencement speaker Tim Conlon, CEO of Conlon Construction and Board of Trustees member and thank everyone who contributed to the day.
I also extend my sincere congratulations to the 222 students who received Dean’s List Honors for the spring semester. These students carry on Clarke’s grand tradition of academic excellence.
Campus News
While most students are away for the summer, our facilities team is busy painting walls, updating furniture, and replacing lighting in residence halls, apartments, and academic buildings. In addition, I’m pleased to share that Terence Donaghoe Hall, our historic theater, will be ready for use again in the fall thanks to funding we received from the Gallagher Foundation that allowed us to renovate the space with new curtains, a mid-curtain, LED lighting and a control panel.
Additionally, thanks to a FEMA grant, we will be adding electronic locks to the Marie Miske Center for Science Inquiry, Catherine Byrne Hall, and Eliza Kelly Hall. More information about how electronic access will impact students and employees will be shared with the campus community soon.
As renovations occur around campus, we also invite our community members—both past and present—to reflect on their experiences here. Clarke’s Oral History Project will launch this month through a collaboration with PCI. Starting June 10, all alumni with an email on file will be contacted for an opportunity to share their stories and have them compiled into a memory book. This is a fantastic addition to our archives. I look forward to hearing the stories of our many alums.
Strategic Plan Update
Although there are fewer students and employees on campus during the summer months, our Strategic Plan work continues. Projects will focus on retention, financial management, and curriculum review and the summer's work will yield action plans for the fall.
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