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Campus News
April always brings with it diverse portraits of progress. For example, not only are the flowers sprouting and the trees blooming, but activities all over campus announce our progression toward the end of the spring semester. Students are finishing final projects and papers, making plans for the summer, preparing for graduation, and registering for fall classes. Faculty and staff are grading projects and papers, preparing for Baccalaureate and Commencement Ceremonies, academically advising students, preparing end-of-year reports, planning summer vacations, and wrapping up committee work.
Early-April activities on campus included a Mackin-Mailander lecture from David Thoreson, a photographer and world-explorer who shared tales from his travels and our annual Focused Learn and Engage Day/Celebration of Scholarship, during which more than 20 students, staff, and faculty shared their research and sparked stimulating discussions across disciplines. In addition, this weekend Clarke will host the annual Interprofessional Conference—a collaborative effort from our Physical Therapy, Nursing and Social Work departments and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.
Looking ahead, the annual Clarke Fest activities on April 20 will bring together Clarke students and employees, families, food trucks, inflatable games, art, music, and an interactive drama performance from the Clarke Cast & Crew at 7:30 p.m. Earlier in the day, admissions in hosting a Blue & Gold visit event that will welcome many high school students and their families to enjoy the day with us. And, on April 25, we’ll host the annual launch party for our literary magazine, The Tenth Muse, which celebrates the culmination of a year’s work with live music, reading performances and snacks. We’ll also be hosting music department events, the Faculty and Staff Achievement Celebration and the student Honors Banquet during the next two weeks. Be sure to check the campus calendar often for more upcoming events.
In addition, many offices in the Haas Administration area will be moving in the next month as part of our construction plan for a Student Success Center—one of the action items that derived from our Strategic Plan. Indeed, we are surrounded by diverse portraits of progress!
Strategic Plan Update
The Strategic Planning committee continues to meet, and at its most recent gathering, the members reviewed the year’s progress toward Goal 1: Live our Mission and Values. Progress has been made in this area, and I’ve shared a few examples in previous Updates. A more recent example is the work that the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is doing with academic departments and the Student Life Office to enhance the student experience on campus. Programming focused on unconscious biases and the impact of stereotypes has been developed and will be offered over the next several months. Engaging more deeply in our BVM Core Values through work such as this ensures that our mission endures.
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