Dear Faculty and Staff,
The closing days of the semester are in view, marked per tradition with tomorrow’s annual holiday luncheon, and the reception at Longwood House later tomorrow afternoon. As students finish exams and we reflect in this holiday season, I wanted to extend a word of deep thanks and good wishes. I am grateful that we have much to celebrate.
First, I want to say a special word of thanks to the Provost --- Lara and I made a productive trek to the annual meeting of SACSCOC in Texas, where earlier this week, as she shared with campus yesterday, the reaffirmation of Longwood’s institutional accreditation was announced. The anticipated good tidings made for a proud moment, and on behalf of all of Longwood, I’m extraordinarily grateful to everyone involved, but especially to Lara herself, David Shoenthal, and Sarai Blincoe.
My time at SACSCOC, in the company of leaders from so many institutions in these challenging times for higher education, sharpened my appreciation for the wherewithal, organization and teamwork our reaffirmation evidenced. Above all, it was freshly forefront this is much more than a prosaic box to check. Reaffirmation is a multi-year examination, by outside peers, culling mountains of data and evidence, of every aspect of our operations and the educational experience we provide. It is a rigorously researched determination as to whether we are fulfilling our mission, operating from strength, honoring academic freedom and free inquiry, committed to improvement, and serving our students well. The answer to these questions is a clear “yes.” That is a collective accomplishment of which we all should be proud.
The happy news received in Texas punctuated my optimism for Longwood as we look ahead. The world, and higher education, are admittedly murky, but my optimism for Longwood abounds. Our trends for enrollment and philanthropy are encouraging, and our support in Richmond strong. The coming months will see a number of exciting campus projects spring to gear, most notably the new music education building, funded by the Commonwealth, our largest-ever capital project. Most importantly, our culture and camaraderie remain strong --- an area where so many institutions have struggled. It is the spirit that has allowed us to navigate with civility the disagreements that have riven other campuses, and to work together, through open channels of communication and shared governance, when there are challenges to work through here at Longwood.
This holiday season, I am enormously grateful to all of you --- who make Longwood the center of such dedication, in your devotion to our mission and our students. I hope very much to see you at the Holiday Luncheon, starting at 11:30 tomorrow, and also at the Longwood House reception, starting at 4:30. My best wishes to all for the holiday season, and for joyful time with family and friends.
Many thanks,
TR