A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT - Mount Holyoke College



MOUNT HOLYOKE President’s REPORT2017/18A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENTThe College has always been a place where big visions take shape. For over 180 years, we have opened opportunities for students to deepen their understanding and sharpen their response to a fast-changing world with challenges both known and unknown. We prepare students to learn and to lead because in life and work, we know this is what makes all the difference.Now that we have been deeply engaged in the work for two years of our five-year Plan for 2021, I’m delighted to share our progress, including an overview of some of Mount Holyoke’s new strategic initiatives. In January 2018, we opened the Dining Commons, a part of the new Community Center, which is now also nearing completion. With the extensive renovations to Blanchard Hall we are creating a co-curricular hub in support of student leadership and programs, as well as a coffee shop and pub. We’ve also added new residential, co-curricular, and academic spaces. These spaces are the heart of our community-building efforts, giving more attention to shared endeavors and creating a sense of belonging. They represent a commitment to place at Mount Holyoke, reminding us all of the power of relationships that is in the very warp and woof of the College and the Alumnae Association. There is an energy and excitement to our being in the same space at the same times each day to eat, talk, think, and debate in companionship and cooperation.I hope the stories in these pages excite you about our current initiatives and our plans for the future. At this time in the world, we are more committed than ever to meeting the challenges of the future head on with intellectual engagement, bold vision, leadership, and empathy. We do this with the same commitment and creativity that has characterized the College throughout its history while reimagining and reinventing a women’s college for the twenty-first century.Thank you for joining us in this next chapter, SONYA STEPHENS *image - description: photo of President Sonya Stephens. Excellence in contemporary liberal education. An outstanding women’s college.Intentional, inclusive community.Celebration of our mitment to environmental sustainability. Preparing leaders for engagement on the global stage.These are just a few of Mount Holyoke’s core priorities that excite and motivate me as we work to advance Mount Holyoke.*image – photo of students singing in lit-up canoes at night as part of the Canoe Sing event.WE CELEBRATE DIFFERENCEEquity & InclusionLiving and learning as one international community requires skills for working across difference. In March 2017, we canceled classes and adjusted staff work schedules to devote a day to a community-wide learning conference воом! (Building on our Momentum) focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through a series of panels, community conversations, and performances, we learned from each other while collaborating on plans for systemic change within our institution. As a direct result of the first boom! conference, the College will appoint its inaugural Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer in 2018 and institutionalize a day of community conversation each spring, starting in 2019. We’re committed to developing divisional action plans, increasing the number of faculty and staff of color, and enhancing cultural competency campus-wide.In spring 2018, boom! returned with a week-long commitment to learning and exchange featuring keynote speaker, public scholar and Rutgers University professor Brittney Cooper. This culminated in the Women of Color Trailblazers Conference, featuring Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, and Carmen Perez, co-founders of the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, d.c.Living-Learning CommunitiesSince 2016 we’ve added a Unity Center and ten Living-Learning Communities (llc’s) to provide opportunities for students who share common identities or educational, social, or co-curricular interests to live together in residence halls. In addition to the Residential Life staff, llc’s also have a faculty or staff liaison, or department sponsor, who assists with programming. These include a First-Year Experience Community; five language floors (Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish); the Arts llс ; the Outdoor Adventure llc, which provides opportunities to explore nature through excursions on campus and in the Pioneer Valley; an Interfaith llс, which celebrates the diversity of religious, spiritual, and socially just practices observed worldwide; Mosaic, for students who self-identify as people of color; the Shirley Chisholm llc for students who are of African descent, identify within the African Diaspora, and/or wish to foster connections between different cultures within the diaspora; MiGente, which connects students of Latinx descent; and the Mary Wooley llc for students committed to creating a supportive and celebratory environment for LGBTQIA students.*IMAGE 1 - description: 2 people clapping and smiling in an audience. Caption: “BOOM! Is really having an impact on the students this year. I’m writing this from [the Dining Commons], and the conversations going on around me are so critical, thoughtful, and respectful – it’s unreal.” Penelope Vorster.*IMAGE 2 – description: person wearing BOOM! T-shirt smiling.WE OPEN PATHS TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY*IMAGE 1 – description: photo of 2 people canoeing.*IMAGE 2 – description: photo of wooden path through woods.The Campus as a Living LaboratoryInspired by the diversity of our ecosystems, we prepare students for lives and careers that respect people and planet. Developed by the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, our 700-acre Mount Holyoke Living Laboratory makes our natural and built landscape the perfect place for hands-on, multidisciplinary undergraduate learning and research.Restoration EcologyOur Restoration Ecology Project enables students and visitors to engage in the science, practice, and social dimensions of ecological restoration with a focus on the quality of the water entering Upper Lake and the soil health, plant biodiversity, and wildlife management issues on campus and beyond. A boardwalk makes the site accessible and adds new viewing points, as well as creating a trail in the heart of campus. Through a partnership with People’s Bank, we recently welcomed high school students to a Restoration Ecology Summer Scholars Program first developed by alumna Jovanna Robinson-Hidas ’16.2037: Mount Holyoke’s Carbon Neutrality GoalIn January 2017, the Mount Holyoke Board of Trustees endorsed the College’s goal of becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2037, the bicentenary of the College. We will pursue this goal through investing in energy efficiency and conservation, retrofitting historic buildings, and transitioning to carbon- neutral heating and electricity sources. We plan to review our progress toward carbon neutrality every five years. To that end, Mount Holyoke’s new community center is constructed to leed (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) silver standards—requiring less water, energy, and resources to operate.WE FOSTER GLOBAL MINDSETS An essential part of the Mount Holyoke experience is living and learning as one international community, with all of the enhanced communication skills and cross-cultural collaboration that flows naturally as a result. In South Hadley, Massachusetts, we connect students, faculty, and staff from all over the world and weave relationships that we know will change the world in the years to come. In 2016, the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives welcomed Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International, as the Carol Hoffmann Collins Global Scholar in Residence.In January 2018, the Center hosted the Global Challenges Conference, “Global- Local Inequalities: Social Change for Sustainable Communities,” bringing together alumnae changemakers, community leaders, and students to discuss strategies and share solutions for promoting social justice worldwide. From welcoming notable leaders and hosting energizing events to ensuring that global questions and opportunities are present in all that we do, we keep our focus inherently and intentionally global.*IMAGE 1 – description: student smiling*IMAGE 2 – description: two figures by a loom. One is teaching the other how to weave MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE FACULTY’S RESEARCH GLOBAL REACHTEACHING 81% encourage discussions that leverage perspectives of domestic and international students79% incorporate global issues into their courses61% teach classes that compare an issue across countriesRESEARCH59% given a paper at a conference abroad (since 2012)55% conducted research abroad (since 2012)51% conduct research with a global focus (since 2012)EXTENDED TIME ABROAD78% lived outside the U.S. for an extended period of time31% lived outside the U.S. for more than 5 years27% earned a degree from an educational institution abroad43% collaborated with an institution outside the U.S. since 2012*IMAGE – description: instructor talking to student*IMAGE – student with laptop and electronic equipmentWE BUILD ECOSYSTEMS WHERE FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS THRIVEMaking sure students receive an outstanding, contemporary liberal education is about helping them thrive in an increasingly complex world with accelerating rates of change. Through both renewal of its traditional disciplines and new curricular initiatives, a Mount Holyoke education gives students the critical thinking skills necessary to tackle 21st-century problems, find solutions, and actively embrace the creative and leadership opportunities of the future. Maker and Innovation LabStudents work best when they share problems and collaborate openly on solutions. Spurred by the success of our pilot maker-space and a commitment to experiential learning, Mount Holyoke is transforming the first floor of Prospect Hall into a green, 8,000 square foot, state-of-the-art $3.5 million Maker and Innovation Lab. This will serve as a meeting place and testing ground for new ideas and inspiring conversations about the needs, products, and services of the future. With the first phase of fundraising for this construction nearing completion, we anticipate work over the summer, a soft launch of the facility in the spring of 2019, and a grand opening in the fall.“Making provides a visceral understanding of both physical and intellectual concepts and represents a unique mode of inquiry combined with practice.”KATHY AIDALAEntrepreneurship, Organizations, & SocietyIn 2016, the College introduced а new minor in Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society which redefines entrepreneurship within the context of the liberal arts. Over 100 students took entrepreneurship courses and led independent study projects in 2016-17, exploring their interests in business and social entrepreneurship, and going on to win pitch and business ethics competitions.Regina Ye, founder of ZIRUI (a travel and beauty products brand), is a perfect example of Mount Holyoke’s investment in entrepreneurs. A Lynk internship at a Berlin startup got Regina started making products like the ZIRUI Go Case, a magnetic travel toiletry case that consists of four TSA-approved modules. A new course, “Entrepreneurship: Idea to Prototype” solidified her approach to product development and strengthened her resolve. With help from mentor Rick Feldman, the College’s entrepreneurship coordinator, Ye pitched her idea at competitions, participated in a local college accelerator, and mounted a successful Kickstarter campaign. Featured in Forbes in January 2017, Ye is excited that ZIRUI is going into production to fulfill its first orders.Another shining example is Ellen Chilemba ’17, Glamour magazine’s 2017 College Woman of the Year grand-prize winner in recognition of her Malawi-based social enterprise, Tiwale, which empowers women through leadership workshops, micro-finance loans, vocational skills training, job creation, and education grants. Chilemba is one of Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30,” a We Are Family Foundation’s Global Teen Leader, a Powell Emerging Leader, an Ashoka Future Forward Winner, and a Global Changemaker.*IMAGE 1 & 2 – photos of Regina Ye and Ellen Chilemba WE EMBOLDEN LEADERSLearning to LeadThrough The Weissman Center for Leadership, we give future leaders what they need to grow and guide them in building skills and experience so that they can develop their capacities and their confidence. Students explore their own unique brand of leadership and their own direction through integrated advising, our unique career development program, The Lynk, internships in all sectors, business education programs, our annual “Crafting a Life in the Arts” event, and initiatives to support women in every field: business, the nonprofit sector, research and data science, and public aifairs, just to name a few. For students interested in public service, we oifer a lecture series, “Advocacy in the Public Domain,” and a pilot мне Semester in D.c. through our political leadership program. We prepare students for graduate school and career success through outstanding mentored research experiences as well as core programs that support scholarship and inquiry.The Lynk: Post-Graduation SuccessIn 2016, Mount Holyoke’s Sophomore Institute won the 2016 nace Career Services Excellence Award (Small Colleges). A key piece of The Lynk, the College’s signature career preparation program, and supported by our outstanding Career Development Center (cdc), this is where second-year students explore internship opportunities, explore career aspirations, and hone their professional skills. In January 2018, U.S. News and World Report ranked Mount Holyoke second among national liberal arts colleges in its listing of “Colleges Where Students Usually Get Internships” as 97% of students hold an internship prior to graduation. In May 2017, Mount Holyoke researchers found that students who achieved a higher grade point average and those who have completed more than one internship are more likely to be employed or enrolled in graduate school. Published in The Journal of the National Association of Colleges and Employers and picked up by The Wall Street Journal, the study was led by Liz Lierman, Director of the CDC.“The introduction of universal internship funding increased internship opportunities for every student, drastically reducing differences in access caused by a student’s financial status or area of academic focus.” LIZ LIERMAN *IMAGE – description: student standing near podium LYNK BY THE NUMBERS 893 students reported internships, research, experiences, or shadowing in summer 2016334 Lynk-funded in 2016388 Lynk-funded in 2017 INTERNSHIPS SPANNED Countries – 61 in 2016, 41 in 2017US STATES – 38 in 2016, 33 in 2017 2017 Lynk-funded students: 63% internships, 31% research, 6% independent projects61% of the class in 2018 held a Mount Holyoke-funded internship1500 student research or internship opportunities funded since The Lynk launched in summer 201598% of supervisors would recommend the student for permanent or full-time employment98% of supervisors felt the student developed skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to build a career in the field WE CARVE OUT NEW SPACES to strengthen our communityIntentionally designed spaces provide students with a strong foundation from which to imagine and envision future possibilities. These new spaces connect students to the beauty of our campus and provide new opportunities for creative work. “[The Dining Commons] is really good!!! I feel like we are all one community, which I love... I feel bad for hating on it.” TESS MAHONEY ’18*IMAGE 1 – description: students eating in the Dining Commons.The Dining CommonsAfter much debate about changing where and how students will gather over meals, we are proud of what we’ve created with our new Dining Commons. Rarely do we see ourselves as a whole community, and there is an electrifying excitement and a buzz to the atmosphere here. Nine food stations include kosher and halal offerings, a 40-ingredient salad bar, an all-day omelet station, international cuisine, pizza ovens, a wall of cereal, and a wok station. With seating for one thousand people in six distinctive dining rooms, members of the campus community, alumnae, and visitors are able to co- mingle at high-tops, sit in wrap-around booths, eat, work, and talk by the fireside, and enjoy panoramic windows overlooking Lower Lake. The Dining Commons connects students to each other, maintaining the intimacy of the Mount Holyoke community dining experience.The Weissman Student CommonsImagine a space where the work of student leaders is on view through glass partitions, where collaboration areas are fitted with white boards for sharing ideas across groups, and students, faculty, and student life staff regularly meet to learn from and with each other. Co-located with the Student Government Association and Student Programs, this reimagined co-curricular hub, which opened in September 2017, is rooted in leadership, social endeavor, and exchange.The Medial ProjectSupported by а 2017 grant of $500,000 from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, awarded to the medial Project—or MHC Empowering Discovery, Innovation, and Artistic Learning—the College has transformed a seminar room in Pratt Hall into a Digital Music Composition Lab. In January 2018, we opened a new Sound Mastering and Recording Lab. In collaboration with our new faculty innovation hires, the College will use both spaces to further expand our interdisciplinary efforts and support innovators. The next stage is the creation of a new media lab. *IMAGE 2 – description: students eating in booths in the Dining Commons and a serving station*IMAGE 3 – description: a figure playing on an electric keyboardWE LEVERAGE THE POWER OF ART *IMAGE 1– description: students looking at a painting in the Museum.*IMAGE 2 – description: student looking at sculpture in the Museum.Object-Based LearningAdding to other forms of experiential, project, and place-based learning, the Mount Holyoke Art Museum supports faculty who use the extensive teaching collection for object-based learning.“We can help students develop the transferable skills at the core of a liberal arts education,” said Ellen Alvord, the Weatherbie Curator of Academic Programs. These skills include close observation, the ability to reframe problems, question assumptions, collaborate in small groups, take risks, and express ideas across many platforms. Courses engaged with the museum in this way include The Archaeology of Food, Arts of Islam, Atomic and Molecular Structure, Entropy, Shakespeare and Film, and the History of Money and Finance.WE FORGE BONDS THROUGH TRADITIONS*IMAGE 3 – description: student in Laurel Parade hugging Lynx mascot.Shared experiences, like the Canoe Sing and the Laurel Chain Parade, are one way we create a sense of belonging at the College. We have a remarkable ability to create new traditions like bringing the whole class together in Abbey Chapel for an Honor Code Ceremony to bookend our Baccalaureate Ceremony. Our traditions influence students’ creativity and give us new ways to bring the community together like the Mount Holyoke ice cream contest, with over 280 students participating. Inspired by our Milk and Cookies tradition, Nicole Palmer ’19 won by an overwhelming margin with her “m&c’s” flavor. With generous chunks of ginger snaps, the flavor is at Herrell’s in Northampton and available by special mail order. COLLEGE DEMOGRAPHICSMount Holyoke is a diverse community, and we focus on recruiting exceptionally talented students worldwide as we grow the diversity of and support the excellence of faculty and staff. To measure our progress, we’ve developed new benchmark dashboards that we will update regularly (available on the website for the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness). THE CLASS OF 20213,446 applicants1,749 acceptances540 matriculantsACCEPTANCE RATE: 50.8%297 early decision applicants170 early decision acceptances EARLY DECISION ACCEPTANCE RATE: 57%177 transfer applicants77 transfer acceptances33 transfer matriculantsTRANSFER ACCEPTANCE RATE: 43.8%154 international matriculants38 countries33 states 61members of the class of 2021 have mothers or sisters who graduated from Mount Holyoke.Degrees awarded my major in 2017Psychology 54Biology 53Economics 49English45International Relations 41Politics33Mathematics 31Neuroscience & Behavior 30Computer Science 26Environmental Studies 24History19Special Major 19Sociology 18Biochemistry 16Spanish 15Psychology & Education 14Anthropology12Art History11538 graduates266 double majorsWITH GRATITUDE for all the ways you giveWe cannot provide Mount Holyoke’s unique educational experience without your support, which comes in so many forms: from alumnae volunteers supporting students in their career aspirations, to those who support Admissions, fundraising, and our many Clubs across the world, as well as parents, and the almost 11,000 donors to the College who gave in support of current and future generations.Since 2016, almost $120 million has been given in support of Mount Holyoke’s mission and strategic priorities, including scholarships and internships, and two new endowed faculty chairs have been established through the generosity of alumnae donors—one in Computer Science, the other in environmental sustainability. In 2016, the College received the largest gift in its history from a living alumna—a gift of $15 million, which came with a match challenge that led to our raising a total of $26.2 million for the Community Center. The 2018 FebruMary challenge celebrated its 5th anniversary by attracting a record number of donors. Alumnae participation in giving matters each and every year, and is one factor in the USNWR rankings.*IMAGE 1– description: crowd of students wearing yellow. FINANCIAL OUTLOOKWe ended FYI7 with strong financial performance despite a budget deficit of $3-4 million, and were able to invest an additional $2 million in new initiatives, as well as redirecting resources to our highest priorities.The College also saw strong investment performance, with the endowment valued at $729 million on June 30, 2017 and growing this year to almost $750 million. Given - $120M since 2016Endowment - $729M June 30, 2017, $750M 2018Both Moody’s and S&P Global reaffirmed Mount Holyoke’s outlook rating as stable (AaЗ and AA-respectively), despite an overall negative outlook for higher education.*IMAGE 2 – two students hugging on a dock by a lakeWE CREATE OUR COLLECTIVE FUTUREIn our Plan for 2021, we will continue to place a high value on the work of our academic centers which are focused on helping students to become agents of change—globally competent, environmentally responsible, and ready to lead. We continue to support and appoint new faculty and create new curricular opportunities within the challenging liberal education that is the center of the Mount Holyoke experience. New interdisciplinary initiatives will build on these opportunities, while our Living Learning Communities will connect students and changemakers across interests well beyond the classroom.We renew our commitment to creating a global educational experience that prepares students to lead in addressing society’s most pressing issues and engaging a well-connected community of alumnae worldwide.We are just getting started... Join us in shaping what’s next for this exciting chapter in Mount Holyoke’s history.*IMAGE – description: forearm with tattoo of two laurel leaves and reads Mount Holyoke Forever in cursive script.Mount Holyoke College50 College Street South Hadley, MAOIO75 413.538.2023mtholyoke.mountholyokecollege mtholyoke instagram/mtholyoke add us: MountHolyoke ................
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