Happy New Year! Welcome back to campus and to the spring semester of the 2023-24 academic year. I hope that you were able to take advantage of the winter break to spend quality time with friends, family, and loved ones, to nurture yourselves with rest and relaxation, and to focus on projects that are meaningful to you. As I look forward to my second semester in the presidential role, there is much to be grateful for and there is even more to build upon and improve. Therefore, I’m eager to share the following updates and announcements with you.
Commitment to Scripps’ Core Values
As we welcome a new year and all the possibilities it inspires, I am all too aware of the ongoing strife and polarization in our world, our nation, and our communities. Scripps is not immune to these realities, and that is why I implore each member of the Scripps community to reaffirm their commitment to our educational mission and to one another, which I outlined recently in a message to our community on the College’s core values. As we begin our spring semester, I have initiated a review of College policies and procedures that have come to the forefront this past semester (e.g., intercollegiate demonstration policy, discrimination and harassment policy, code of conduct policy). I look forward to engaging with members of our community during this process to ensure alignment between our community values and our expression of divergent perspectives.
Centennial Plan Updates:
IDEA 2.0
In support of its mission and core values, Scripps remains committed to furthering its DEIJ work. Last year, the College shared a draft of the diversity, equity, and inclusion framework and offered an opportunity for community feedback. Thank you to those who responded¾your input is valuable! The final iteration of that framework, available on the IDEA site, aims to capture community, trust, justice, and mattering here at Scripps. This system may be used to guide departmental and institutional policies, practices, and priorities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. For more information on the IDEA 2.0 initiative, please view the most recent newsletter.
Master Plan and Identity Research Initiative
To ensure that Scripps is able to provide current and future support to its constituents, programs, campus, and structures, the College is well underway in developing a master plan that is mission driven, while providing an intentional, iterative framework for its vision, planning, and benchmarking. Similarly, findings from the College-wide identity research initiative, which began last summer, will help us focus on our strengths and amplify our appeal to prospective students and families. I hope that you took the opportunity to share your perspective by completing the survey sent to all Scripps community members in December. I look forward to further conversations about the insights this important initiative will provide.
Campus Updates and Events:
The Nucleus
Construction on the Nucleus, the new science building, is on schedule to welcome faculty this summer and students at the beginning of the fall semester. Walk by the construction site or view the live webcam to see this exciting initiative come to life. We will dedicate this wonderful and needed addition in a ceremony in October. I look forward to celebrating with many of you!
CMS Athletics
Our student scholar-athletes have much to be proud of with another fall season of remarkable achievements, including the women’s volleyball team advancing to the NCAA Division III Volleyball semifinals. Please join me in supporting our athletes by attending an event this spring.
Community Events
Spring is also the time of some major events on campus, including Family Weekend in February and Reunion Weekend in April. These annual events welcome families and alums back to Claremont to learn about the accomplishments of our amazing students and faculty, expand their Scripps connections, and enjoy the beauty of the campus. Also of note, this year’s Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 11 at 5 p.m. on Elm Tree Lawn. I encourage you to attend and join in celebrating the Class of 2024’s achievements. Additional information and updates, including the announcement of the Commencement speaker, will be shared and posted on the College’s Commencement website in the coming weeks.
Public Events
The Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery will host its Ceramic Annual, running from January 27 to April 7, and the Clark Humanities Museum exhibition New Media Representations of the State in Latin America, led by Professor Gabriela Morales and her anthropology, students continues through January 22. Propagating Cultural Power, The Humanities Institute’s current program under the direction of Professor Martha Gonzalez, will continue this spring. Also be on the lookout for more information about upcoming events across campus, including Scripps Dances, the Dance Department’s annual spring concert of original works, and the Claremont Concert Orchestra’s spring 2024 concert. In addition, faculty regularly bring to campus stellar and accomplished scholars that are available to the community. Scripps Presents programming will begin in February, and an announcement of the full spring lineup will be sent later this week. I hope to see you at the many lectures, concerts, presentations, exhibitions, and more offered at Scripps!
Infinitely Scripps Presidential Tour
This past fall I’ve had the pleasure to meet with many members of the Scripps community in Denver, Pasadena, and San Diego as part of the Infinitely Scripps Presidential Tour. These gatherings convene alums and families to share the College’s priorities and accomplishments. This spring, I will visit Seattle; San Francisco; New York; Boston; Washington, DC; Austin; Tucson; and Chicago. For more information, please visit the Infinitely Scripps Presidential Tour site.
To stay up to date on all College updates, please visit the Scripps College website.
Incipit vita nova,
Amy Marcus-Newhall
Scripps President