Message from the President

Greetings from President Molly Easo Smith:

Dear Alumni,

Good morning from Manhattanville College in my new role as president, a responsibility which prompts emotions that range from excitement to awe and humility.  I look forward to working with each of you and the Alumni Board, and more importantly, to growing into Manhattanville's academic family through coming years.

Though my words may not quite capture the breadth of our strengths or represent them accurately just yet, I see much to be proud about at Manhattanville: our traditions are rich and deep; our foundational commitment to educating the mind and body, heart and spirit, remains powerful; and our mission, through rigorous academic and co-curricular programs, to prepare students for ethical and socially-responsible leadership in a diverse, global, challenging, and interconnected world, is compelling.

As you all know, signature elements that represent our commitment to excellence include:

•    small classes where each voice is valued,
•    dedicated faculty who take pride in their role as scholar-teachers and teacher-scholars,
•    deeply committed and engaged staff and administrators,
•    service and experiential learning opportunities through the Duchesne and Connie Hogarth Centers,
•    inter-collegiate and club sports, which foster team development, leadership skills, and communal pride,
•    a full spectrum of support that ranges from advising about class choices to assistance regarding internships and career options
•    a global community drawn from across the US and the world;
•    a beautiful campus and purpose-built buildings, which represent our endorsement of environmental sustainability and historic preservation.  

Even as we strengthen these hereafter, we will be developing new directions and programs, while responding boldly and innovatively to the needs of a new generation of students.  

You more than any other constituents of the Manhattanville community know and understand that deeply entrenched in our psyche lies an impassioned commitment to social justice and public service, evidenced by our historical leadership on important social issues and by strong connections that many on the national stage forged with us through the years.

There could be no more fitting testimony to this than a recent discovery we made amidst loosely-stacked and about-to-be-discarded papers in the President's Office as I prepared to move in:  six letters signed by President John F. Kennedy, five of which were written when he was a Senator, to Mother O'Byrne, and the last to Manhattanville faculty from the White House.  Equally thrilling was the discovery of a speech made by Robert Sargent Shriver in Winnetka, Illinois, on November 18, 1957, praising Manhattanville's leadership by Mother Dammann, a visionary president whose bold and decisive decisions propelled our leadership on racial integration and civil rights.  
 
In an increasingly complex and changing world, our steady past of bold and principled initiatives is both inspiring and humbling. Our NGO status at the UN, our global and inclusive community, and our inspiring mission continue these traditions and commitments in ways that would have made our founders and predecessors proud.  

You will be proud to know that we successfully hosted nearly 250 freshman and their parents over the last weekend on campus at Phase I Orientation.  I caught the glimpse of developing pride and ownership in the eyes of these, the newest members of our family, who already understand that they are entering a College richly endowed with accomplishments and a reputation for excellence that reaches back to 1841.
 
I hope you will hold Reunion Weekend, September 25th to 27th 2009, and the date of the Presidential Inauguration, April 7th 2010, on your calendars and plan to be on campus as we celebrate your involvement and the accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff at these events.  Detailed information about both will arrive from other offices, and I hope to see you then, if not sooner, at alumni meetings across the country.  

Your continued support and involvement in the life of the College has enabled us to record extraordinary successes on multiple fronts.  As we script the text for another chapter in Manhattanville's inspiring story, and prepare to welcome new generations of students, I remain grateful for your involvement and look forward to connecting with each of you, as we continue to strengthen our bonds and increase the reach and reputation of the College.

With warm regards and fondness,