Welcome to the first day of class!
August 31, 2020
DEAR DEPAUW STUDENTS,
Welcome to the first day of classes for our 2020-21 academic year!
Whether you are joining us in person on campus or are learning remotely, as the new president of DePauw I am especially delighted to welcome the classes of 2021, ’22, ’23 and ’24; you are “my” first students at DePauw!
This week we welcomed the incoming Class of 2024 virtually and in person during convocation when many walked beneath the arch as students for the first time. We also welcomed new transfer students. For remote learners – who we hope to see in person soon for spring term – you are with us in your Tiger spirit and will have many opportunities to interact with your classmates and professors in the coming weeks.
This fall marks my 38th year working in higher education and, even though nothing about this term feels “normal” for any of us, I could not contain my excitement as I met families moving in and greeted new and returning students. It has been wonderful to see DePauw come alive with students making new friends and renewing acquaintances (even six feet apart and masked up!).
I’m filled with optimism and gratitude as I watch those of you on campus conscientiously demonstrating care and respect for one another by wearing masks and following protocols to keep all members of our community safe. Keep it up! We are all unified in wanting to remain a residential campus this term, to bring our entire community together in person as quickly as possible and to model doing so responsibly. Your upstanding behavior paves the way for us to remain residential and honors the extensive work staff and faculty have put in to make it possible for you to be here.
This past week I had the chance to interact with a number of you. A first-year student from Chicago told me he’d never lived in a small town and appreciated how easy it is to walk everywhere on campus and in Greencastle. A sophomore who works at a restaurant on the square told me that after he visited campus as a prospective student he applied only to DePauw and is so happy to be back. And another sent flowers to congratulate me on becoming DePauw’s president. I intend to spend much more time with as many of you as possible this fall, and one of the ways I’ll do so is to host virtual coffees for 25 students at a time, so please look for an email from me soon. I want to know how you are doing and hear your hopes for the future, how we can help you achieve your goals and how you want to contribute your time and talents to make DePauw even better than it already is.
To ensure many student voices will be part of strategic planning, in addition to ongoing work with DePauw Student Government and student listening sessions, we are forming a 12-student advisory board – announced recently by Alan Hill, vice president of student academic life. The deadline to apply is today and the opportunity is open to all; use this short form to apply.
Finally, whether I see you on campus or virtually, I’ll be looking for bold, gold DePauw spirit wear – especially on DePauw Spirit Fridays, but also at other times. When I see you wearing your DePauw spirit, I’ll be handing out cards for a free cup of coffee. And let’s just hope I don’t see you on campus wearing swag from other colleges!
On a more serious note, I know this is a time of deep anxiety for many, including me. We are facing an unprecedented public health challenge with the pandemic. Many communities are affected by fires in California and flooding from recent hurricanes. Antiracism marches, protests and counter-protests are occurring across the country. And deep political divides are on display as the presidential election approaches (the first opportunity for many of you to vote!). I fully expect that these issues will be part of our experience and discourse this fall. And in keeping with the values of a liberal arts education, they present an opportunity for us to collectively and respectfully explore and share ideas for making this world a better place for all humanity.
As I was transitioning this summer to my own new experience as president of DePauw, I shared inspiring words (often attributed to John Wesley) that reflect our DePauw Gold Within values of respect and integrity:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
Let’s honor these words at a time when doing all the good we can – on campus and beyond – means more than ever.
Let’s get it started, Tigers!
Dr. Lori S. White
President
P.S. Please follow me on twitter @DrLoriDePauwU or Instagram at DrLoriDePauwU -- and I welcome your emails at President@DePauw.edu.