Hello, friends, 

Let me officially welcome you all to the start of the 2020–2021 academic year. It is wonderful to be back — even if that means “virtually.” As we conclude the first week of classes, I want to share a few thoughts with you — and a few updates. And I promise that not all of them are COVID-related. 

I’ll begin by saying how truly moved I am by the many ways our community has come together in this moment. We have all missed our students so much. Faculty and staff members alike have spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort reimagining ways of providing students with a rewarding  and engaging educational experience, while also maintaining the safety and well-being of our campus community. This essential work continues. I am grateful for the flexibility and patience so many of you have displayed as we learn and adjust together to these challenging circumstances.

Campus is obviously quite different. Tents allow us to gather responsibly, squares on Parrish Beach promote physical distancing, and signs are posted at every turn. My thanks to all of those involved in making our physical spaces as safe as possible — and particularly our staff members in Dining Services, Environmental Services, Facilities, and Public Safety.

For those of you who are on campus — you’re doing great! As I walk campus, I see the vast majority of you wearing your masks, practicing good physical distancing — and upholding your commitment to the Garnet Pledge. I am grateful for and inspired by what I’ve seen. 

I also want to thank those of you who are staffing our campus testing centers. Our testing protocols are working extremely well, and that is in no small part due to those of you who are guiding us and helping to make sure we move through that process efficiently. 

While we’ve done a remarkable job at keeping the number of positive cases low, we must remain vigilant — our continued success depends on it. We’ve seen the impact of irresponsible behavior on other campuses. Complacency and disregard for our protocols will open the door for COVID-19 to spread here. So please — when you just want to take that mask off, or if you’re feeling that you want to gather in a large group of friends, think of your commitment to yourself and to others, and find the resolve to continue to do what you can to help keep our community safe. 

For those of you who are not on campus this fall, I also want to thank you. I know this is not what you — or any of us — wanted. But by working or studying remotely, you are playing a significant role in helping limit the spread of this disease in our community. You are helping to keep your peers, colleagues, and friends safe. I can’t wait until we are all able to gather again, in person, as a community.

Despite the disruption brought about by COVID-19, we’ve made exciting progress on a number of other fronts this summer. 

After years of planning — including gathering broad input from several hundred students, faculty and staff members, and alumni — we broke ground on the new Dining and Community Commons. This initiative includes a complete renovation of Sharples Dining Hall and an expansion of the facility, which will enable us to reimagine the social and dining experiences that are central to Swarthmore’s mission of educating the whole person. The past several months have reminded us of the importance of community — of gathering together in shared physical spaces that foster relationship building. That is precisely what this project will bring to our community. We expect to complete the expansion of the building by the fall of 2022 and the full project by the fall of 2023. 

This building is designed to be a net-zero carbon facility. In addition, the basement will house a geothermal exchange unit that will serve the entire campus, enabling the College to transition away from the use of fossil fuels and help us reach our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.

We are also in the midst of a significant renovation to the Lang Music Building, the first comprehensive renovation in the building’s nearly 50-year history. This work will preserve the building’s modernist architecture while enhancing the experience for our students and faculty, for performers, and for the audiences who gather there. Among the more notable features of this project are the modernization of rehearsal and performance spaces; the addition of an ADA ramp for access to the concert hall; and the reimagining of the Presser room, transforming it into a rehearsal space with superb acoustics and additional storage suitable for instruments. We are also fully restoring the Holtkamp Organ, which has been inoperable for years. We expect all of this work to be completed by  the start of spring semester. 

And our progress continues on Singer Hall — now home to the biology, engineering, and psychology departments. Some of you will recall that we opened the first phase of the building at the start of last academic year. This summer, we completed the surrounding greenscaping work, and we made significant progress on Phase 2 of the project, which includes offices for faculty and staff in Biology and Psychology and the shared commons and outdoor spaces. We originally planned to complete Phase 2 this fall. COVID-19 disrupted that schedule, but we are on track to move everyone into the building by January. My thanks to everyone who has contributed to the planning and execution of these projects. 

Our Get Out the Vote Committee has also done great work this summer, and you will be hearing a lot from the committee in the seven weeks leading up to the November election. I urge all of you to participate in this year’s election: register to vote, learn about the candidates who are running for local, state and national office, and cast your ballot. Your vote and your voice matter. Your participation in the democratic process is particularly important now, when we face a confluence of daunting crises: a global pandemic; historic economic challenges; and the relentless racial, ethnic, and xenophobic hatred and violence consuming the country. In the face of such challenges, we’ve seen incredible courage and activism. Casting your ballot is also a powerful expression of your beliefs and values.  If you have questions about how to get involved, please visit our Get Out the Vote website. 

Despite the many challenges we face, I remain hopeful and optimistic. I’m truly excited to see how we will use our creative energy, our collective intellect, and our faith in the transformative power of a Swarthmore education to navigate this moment and emerge as a more just, equitable, and empathetic community, both here on campus and beyond. I am honored to be on that journey with you. 

We will see each other soon. Until then, please take care of yourselves and each other. I wish you all the best for a successful and healthy academic year.