Good morning and thank you for joining me today.
It is a privilege and an honor to share with you my third State of the University Address. I regard this annual occasion not only as an important tradition but a meaningful opportunity to reflect on where we are as an institution and where we are going; on how we are doing as a community and how our work together might grow yet stronger. I do hope that much — if not all — of my own sense of a positive and growing momentum at Clark today is yours as well. There are signs of it nearly everywhere, and every one of you has contributed something to make it happen.
Let me begin, then, by expressing how truly grateful I am for all that you do for Clark. Your commitment to our University inspires and energizes me every day. You transcend job descriptions and specific responsibilities to be there for our students and for each other, and you do so with passion and purpose. Whether as a member of our extraordinarily talented faculty or uncommonly dedicated staff, you all contribute to the engaging, rigorous, and impactful education that our students deserve. I consider Clark University students among the most fortunate in the country because of our faculty and staff who work so tirelessly and selflessly on their behalf. Everyone who works at Clark — everyone! — plays a role in fulfilling our mission. No one is unimportant to the purpose of our institution, and so I say thank you … to you all.
As we consider the “state” of our University, I think it’s important to reflect on the fact that we are emerging from two of the most challenging years in the institution’s history — indeed, two of the most challenging years in higher education and in society. Our response to COVID-19 required a massive and complicated undertaking that worked because you made it work. It was also an opportunity for us to develop a base of knowledge and organizational infrastructure that, when combined with the fierce and empathetic Clarkie spirit, will allow us to respond and adapt to just about anything that might confront us next.
But importantly, we didn’t just get through those two years. We used the time also to get ahead. And the ways in which we have gotten ahead, I believe, make Clark a stronger institution today than it was at the start of the pandemic.
In my Inauguration address in April, I noted that Jonas Clark envisioned a university that would be characterized by a fearlessness to assert itself when the moment arose — through innovation, through boldness of thought, and with a desire to do the hard work and the good work.
I believe Jonas would be proud today because we have leaned into our moment and into our mission by focusing anew on our academic aspirations, by improving our physical plant, by diversifying our community and making inclusion a priority, and by committing our resources wisely and strategically across overdue needs and emerging opportunities.
There is a good reason — many of them, in fact — why this year’s first-year class was the largest in Clark’s history, why more prospective students visited our campus this year than any year prior, and why our applications for undergraduate admission for next year have seen a 32% increase over this time last year.
There is good reason why we welcomed the largest cohort ever into our graduate degree programs this fall.
Why our Clark researchers and scholars are earning major grants and prestigious appointments from internationally known organizations to address some of the world’s most urgent problems.
Why Clark alumni from across classes and generations are reengaging with the University in greater number and with appreciably greater interest.
And why we continue to educate students who are not only academically accomplished but also unceasingly curious, unfailingly compassionate, and who are eager to merge their personal ambition with a generosity of spirit in ways that contribute to a better world.
In short, the remarkable work in which we are all engaged has brought forward something even more special, something different, something desirable, and something that is being acknowledged and embraced. It’s this collective effort — every day — that makes Clark what it is and emboldens us to be even more determined in our pursuit of the brightest possible future for our University.
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Earlier this month, I sent out a letter to staff and faculty conveying information about the University’s current finances and our budget assumptions for FY24. As I noted in the letter, we are working hard to balance myriad needs — some overdue, some immediate, some future-oriented — alongside the strain of inflation and other economic stressors, internally and externally. As a result, at this early point in the budgeting process, we are projecting a deficit for FY24 of roughly $6 million. The specific deficit we will not know for a bit, but we do know that we must confront it not by stopping all spending or pulling back on all investments but by achieving the best balance of addressing those myriad needs that we can. We are making progress in realizing our overall financial strategy, but it will take time, and I must ask for your patience as we advance this work. Along the way, we must continue to make strategic and thoughtful investments in the University — in people, in programs, and in our physical plant, all three. When facing a deficit, continuing with prudent investing rather than across-the-board belt-tightening may seem counterintuitive, but we expect that many of the investments we are making now will increase revenue and strengthen our operating budget in the years ahead, which, in turn, will allow us to direct even more resources to needs I well recognize and fully support, such as compensation and professional development.
If you haven’t already, I urge you to read the financial presentation you received from me by email on December 9, which you can find at clarku.edu/update22. It contains information I believe all University employees need to better understand Clark University finances. To that end, we will be discussing this information in a number of settings in the months ahead, and my administrative colleagues, faculty and staff leaders, and I welcome your questions, comments, and perspectives.
What I want to underscore today is that we are not in a moment when “business as usual” will serve us well … or is even possible. The truth is that it would be simpler, odd as it sounds, to slash our expenditure budget as other schools have during this extraordinary period through furloughs, layoffs, cutting employee benefits, eliminating academic programs, and further deferring already long-overdue maintenance of our facilities. What we are doing instead, by trying to simultaneously make incremental investments across the board while managing a deficit, is a lot harder. But it’s essential for the University’s financial health and sustainability.
To be clear, we can’t continue to run a deficit year after year. We also can’t afford to underinvest in our academic programs or student support services. We can’t continue to defer building maintenance because the longer we wait, the higher the cost … and the greater the likelihood that more extensive work and larger capital expenditures will be required.
We must then work toward a balanced budget for FY25 and continue to invest selectively on multiple fronts to the extent possible.
So, what kind of investments are we making?
First, and most importantly, we are investing in you — our faculty and staff, as well as our students. During these difficult budgetary years due to COVID, we’ve rightly prioritized sustaining compensation, benefits, and retirement contributions. We’ve been able to grow our faculty despite drops in enrollment and look forward to adding even more exceptional talent in our classrooms and labs with 15 ongoing faculty searches for FY22–23. Further, as you know, we have engaged the human resources consulting firm Segal to conduct a classification and compensation study. This study will provide important insight for the development of a five-year, university-wide compensation plan, which we are firmly committed to developing. It also is an important first step in strengthening our approach to HR overall because it will help to achieve greater equity, consistency, and clarity in compensation, job titles, and responsibilities. We are expecting the results of this study in fall 2023. We also have created a new position, Chief Human Resources Officer, out of a recognition that HR at Clark is understaffed and, given its importance, should be represented differently within the leadership structure. We hope to fill this position by July 1.
We’ve bolstered our commitment to becoming a more diverse, welcoming, and inclusive community by investing in DEI programming and training, anti-bias and anti-racism training, and new affinity spaces on campus.
We’ve driven the generation of new and exciting ideas through the extraordinarily successful innovation grant program. This calendar year, we invested $320,000 in 22 projects like the Equity in Action initiative, Justice to Jobs program, and an interactive, interdisciplinary theater class that melds games and theater through students’ design of characters and costumes. Collectively, the projects funded through our innovation grants are breaking new ground and enriching the academic and cultural experience at Clark.
Perhaps more visibly, we are making investments in our physical plant. We are moving toward a campus that better sustains the academic and creative demands of our dynamic University while improving the conditions, performance, and functionality of some of our existing structures. The commotion of construction projects will not be with us forever, but we should expect to live with some degree or another of this activity and associated periodic disruptions for much of the decade ahead. I thank you for your patience and understanding about the need for this work, and I hope you will all, in time, experience its benefits.
Our newest building, the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design, is proceeding on schedule to open at the start of our next academic year, and I hope you share my excitement about it. The building will integrate the Becker School of Design & Technology into our campus and situate it alongside Computer Science and some components of Visual and Performing Arts. Our expectation is that this building will quickly become a hub for interdisciplinary learning in new fields for Clark, as well as welcome new teaching and convening space for many of us.
The newly renovated Little Center and Michelson Theater officially reopened last month with a student production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins.” The show was provocative and terrific in its own right, but it also provided a tantalizing glimpse of the artistic triumphs yet to be staged there.
Goddard Library is undergoing long-needed and extensive renovations to its facade, roof, and windows so we can preserve this campus landmark that was dedicated by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in 1969, two months before he walked on the moon. The extent of the work is more than we had initially anticipated, but we are committed to ensuring that for years to come, Goddard Library will continue to serve as a center of gravity on campus for intellectual investigation, solitary study, and academic collaboration.
The investments we are making to improve our physical plant are not optional. They are essential — both to literally preserve the structures themselves and to begin to bring our academic, recreational, research, and campus living spaces in line with current-day expectations of our own community members, and the outstanding students, faculty, and staff we are working to recruit. We have, in fact, a very heavy burden in this area — any administration would, given the state of our aging infrastructure. Work has been delayed for far too long, and now that work has come due. It is a challenge that requires strategic prioritization and careful planning to balance mission-critical needs in this area with other investments that also require attention and resources. But it is a challenge we must take head-on … and we are doing just that.
Another focus of investment is to ensure that every Clark student is well-supported and able to succeed here. To that end, our provost, dean of students, and their teams, in partnership with a faculty advisory council, have established and continue to refine the Division of Student Success. Led by Dean Kamala Kiem, the new division creates a holistic, student-centered approach to support services, one we believe will enhance the student experience and improve outcomes.
Why this reorganization now?
We are enhancing our support services and streamlining access to those services for first-year students in part out of a recognition of what the successful transition to college demands today and also to do everything we can to maximize student outcomes from one undergraduate year to the next, as well as after graduation from Clark. For several reasons — the effects of the pandemic among them — greater support for our students is essential now. The Division of Student Success is designed to meet students where they are — that is, to make it easier to learn about and access help and advice but also to tailor the experience to an individual student’s needs and strengths. As part of this effort, we are elevating our concentration on overall student health and well-being, including mental health services, for which the demand continues to be significant. Further, we are creating more inclusive spaces and investing in resources to better support underrepresented, historically marginalized students.
This fall, we welcomed as part-time employees Clark graduate students who exercised their right to unionize and whose non-academic relationship with the University and with their faculty is now governed by contract — the terms of which were achieved far faster than is typical. Like you, I recognize the important contributions our graduate students make to the intellectual life on campus and want them to feel supported, respected, and appreciated.
Another area we have focused on is investing in our technology and new tools to improve operational efficiency and programmatic delivery. It may not be the most exciting area of investment, but the impact is profound. Everything from degree audit software that improves academic advising and assists with degree completion, to a new platform that better personalizes our relationship with undergraduate students, to financial modeling software that predicts the impact of different financial scenarios over time — all are essential to the quality and efficiency of our operations, and some have been long-anticipated. As with our physical plant, these investments in many cases simply cannot wait any longer.
What I hope you will see is that no single investment stands in isolation from the others. There is a strategic relationship — even a synergy or interconnectivity — to everything we are undertaking. And, underpinning it all, are the priorities articulated in our strategic framework, to which I would like to turn next.
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For the past year and a half, with tremendous effort by so many of you, we have started to chart a course for Clark’s future that is both ambitious and inspiring. Our strategic framework provides direction and helps guide the consequential choices we are making now and will make in the future. The framework has been conceived, discussed, debated, and constructed through fervent community engagement. And that process continues. As you’ve heard me say before, our framework is not static — it can and will be added to; its themes and approaches will be adjusted and even reimagined in response to changing circumstances. It will and should evolve. But at the same time, it provides an enduring system or structure within which to pursue this work with some continuity and coherence.
At its core, the framework is about carrying out our mission and doing so in new, compelling, perhaps even transformative ways, while also embracing 135 years of institutional history and that special ethos that makes Clark … Clark. If we continue to work together, remain focused, sustain the hard work, and proceed in a disciplined, determined way, Clark will become the best version of itself and deliver the very best that our already distinguished and distinctive institution has to offer. That is what our framework is about.
Thus far, much of the content of our framework has been most visible to those directly involved in teams, task forces, and working groups — of which there have been many — or who participated in mingles or information sessions or one-on-one conversations. I hope others less directly involved nevertheless took advantage of the internal, password-protected website cataloging each step of this effort to date to stay informed. I believe we are now at a stage when we can and should share this work more broadly, including with alumni, parents of current students, prospective students, candidates for faculty and staff positions, and friends of the University. This afternoon, we will launch a new public-facing, openly accessible website to share the key components of the framework. You’ll see that we have titled the framework “Clark Inspired” — intended to motivate each of us to embrace what we’ve already achieved and who we already are as a community while enjoining us to reach further and higher. The framework is built upon our distinguished history, and it will guide us toward a distinctive future.
Launching a public website does not in any way indicate an end to the strategic framework process. In fact, just as the framework is dynamic, so too is our new website, particularly in highlighting key initiatives still in planning along with those now underway. However, our five overarching goals will remain constant for the foreseeable future, serving as a compass to help us stay the course. Those goals are to:
- achieve greater excellence in academic and research programs
- advance diversity, equity, and inclusion
- enhance the campus experience
- expand outward engagement
- broaden institutional capacity
Within those goals, we have organized and situated both academic and foundational areas of focus. Seventeen teams, made up of faculty and staff from across the University, are refining initiatives within each of these areas — helping us to ensure forward movement, prioritize resources, and channel community engagement.
I hope you will take the time soon to explore Clark Inspired and that you will, in fact, be inspired by it and all the work to date. I also hope what you discover there will make you proud of our ambition overall and see that at Clark today, we are indeed widening the margins of what is possible. But allow me to call out just a few examples of how we can — and are — using the framework to harness opportunity and move ideas into action, all the while doing so in an intentional, strategic way.
I spoke earlier about the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design that is coming to life on the eastern edge of our main campus. This is the first academic building we have constructed since the Lasry Center for Bioscience 15 years ago, and that is a significant accomplishment in and of itself. However, what is most exciting to me is how this facility will catapult us forward in one of the four academic areas of distinction we’ve committed to in the framework. There is no question that we are primed to become a national and even international leader at the nexus of creative arts, media, design, and technology. Adopting and fully integrating the Becker School is one very important piece of this. So, too, is the way in which the associated programs — namely visual and performing arts and computer science — are collaborating to bring forward a new and exciting interdisciplinary effort. The building we are constructing will garner significant attention and interest, especially among prospective students. But most importantly, it will enable our success in this new field, which the work of our faculty and students will ultimately determine. That is the spirit of our strategic framework.
Consider also the new honors experience that is under development, with the intention of launching next fall. Cutting across several areas of focus in the framework, an honors experience will drive student success, enrich our educational programs, and make Clark a more compelling draw for prospective students seeking a more rigorous academic experience. More details about this exciting initiative will be forthcoming from faculty colleagues. Enhancing a Clark education with an honors experience gets to the very heart of what we are working to accomplish through Clark Inspired.
I am also very excited about a proposal that has evolved through the planning process to establish a concentrated focus in global and climate change. The specifics still must be considered. But even at this early stage — based on what has been presented — Provost Royo and I have given our enthusiastic support to moving the proposal forward. The overall aim is to co-join our efforts in global climate change and sustainability across disciplines and programs — gaining scale, incentivizing even more interdisciplinary research and course offerings, and putting Clark more prominently on the map in an area where we have led for decades. This, again, is a perfect example of what we are working to achieve through Clark Inspired.
Quite simply …
As an institution, our aim always has been to unleash human promise and potential. To inspire curiosity and an eagerness to learn. To develop passionate leaders and help them succeed.
By following the roadmap laid out in Clark Inspired, we will ensure steady and persistent progress toward that ideal.
We have a solid foundation to build upon. We have a clear path forward. And we, already, are advancing toward our goals. I am incredibly proud of this effort … and proud of the way in which we, together, are making it a reality for our future.
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So, that is a look ahead at just a few of the exciting things to come.
I look back on this past year with pride at the impressive work taking place on this campus and beyond and anticipate many future possibilities. As always, there is far too much to mention here today. But a few highlights:
I was excited to learn that the National Science Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to an interdisciplinary team of Clark researchers led by Professor Tim Downs for an extraordinary three-year project in drought-stricken central Mexico. The project involves nine faculty and 19 graduate students from the International Development, Community, and Environment Department, the Graduate School of Geography, and the Becker School of Design & Technology. For the first time, researchers will meld extended reality technology, systems modeling, and GIS mapping to give Indigenous populations the ability to virtually experience what their communities might look like under various climate scenarios.
It’s not that common that one of our faculty is recognized for a work of fiction, but History Professor Ousmane Power-Greene’s novel “The Confessions of Matthew Strong” not only earned a review in The New York Times and was named to NPR’s annual 2022 “Books We Love” reading guide, but it is being heralded as a raw and trenchant examination of racial violence and the threat of radical ideologies in the U.S.
Clark biology students donned headlamps and devoted many of their summer nights wading waist-deep into Worcester’s waterways to learn how urbanization affects the local ecosystem and answer the question: What does the health of the watershed mean for the health of Worcester’s citizens? The value of these experiments was summed up beautifully by Clark senior Manning DelCogliano, who said, “This is science, but it’s also community.”
I was moved to learn of the work of Marimo Oka, who, as a senior on the pre-med track, did an internship in a busy Brooklyn emergency room, where she advocated for patients who were in physical and emotional distress. And of Psychology Professor Wendy Grolnick, who for years has counseled survivors and victims’ families through their pain and grief at the scenes of natural disasters and mass-casualty events, most recently in Uvalde, Texas.
This past spring, we had the bittersweet occasion of saying farewell to nine faculty members who devoted more than 300 years of collective service to the University: Rhys Townsend and Elli Crocker in Visual and Performing Arts; Fred Green in Computer Science; Mark Turnbull in Chemistry; Priscilla Elsass, Laura Graves, and Keith Coulter in the School of Management; Patty Ewick in Sociology; Janette Greenwood in History; and Tom Del Prete in Education. Thousands of Clark students found knowledge, perspective, and enlightenment in their classrooms, and these dedicated educators will be missed. As you know, we recently lost a current member of the faculty far too soon; we will remember Bob Tobin and his far-reaching impact on so many Clark students for years to come. We will also remember Bill Koelsch, whose decades of service to Clark — as a geographer, teacher, scholar, and University Historian — were remarkable.
But even as we said a reluctant goodbye and grieved some losses, we offered an enthusiastic welcome to a cohort of new faculty who bring a wealth of talents and experience to departments across campus, with expertise that ranges from geospatial analytics to 3D animation to the impact of ecological transformation on Indigenous communities. Our students are in good hands.
We also said goodbye to long-serving staff members like Police Sergeant Fred Haddad, who devoted 44 years to keeping our campus safe, and Elio Chimento, who for 35 years helped us stay connected as supervisor of the electric and telecom operations. And we’re grateful for the service of Robin McNally, who, during 32 years with Health Services — 25 of them as director — made the health and well-being of our students her priority.
One of my great joys as president was attending the annual Employee Recognition Luncheon, where we honored our incredible staff members who have at least 10 years of service to Clark. A special shout-out goes to Bill Racki from Facilities Management, who has worked at Clark for an astonishing 50 years … and counting.
This coming April, we will have an opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our School of Management and the 100th anniversary of the Graduate School of Geography. During its first century, the Graduate School of Geography has grown to become an internationally recognized center of research and learning across the geographic disciplines and the School of Management is more and more recognized as a leader at the nexus of social justice and business.
Last spring, we witnessed the return of International Gala’s remarkable in-person performance, a signature event that was temporarily lost to COVID.
A dedicated core of students, staff, and faculty planned and recently held the first Equity in Action conference to consider the valuable tools and strategies that will contribute to a more equitable and just Clark University.
And sophomore Ruby Krasnow became the first Clark cross country athlete to qualify for the NCAA championships. My congratulations to Ruby on her well-deserved achievement.
These are just a sampling of the accomplishments of our remarkable faculty, staff, and students.
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What all of this shows … and what I know to be true … is that we have all the makings to realize our full potential: smart, inquisitive, driven students; outstanding faculty; dedicated staff; and a bold but achievable plan for our future. This is a time to lean in. Together.
And all of us at Clark must keep our collective foot on the pedal. I know, over the past couple of years, we have been working at a faster clip … and have been expecting more of ourselves and of each other. I urge you to maintain the ambitious pace we have set as we gain the necessary momentum toward an even more formidable and inspiring future for our University.
I mentioned earlier that I believe our University is strong … stronger, perhaps, than at other points in our history. And throughout my address, I’ve shared examples of the important work, significant achievements, and enduring impact that prove this out. All of it is possible because of the extraordinary talent that you bring to the table every day, and the commitment you all have made to our University. I’ve talked about the strategic framework that you helped to build … and are, already, instrumental in fulfilling. The goals we’ve laid out for ourselves are bold. But I have absolute confidence that we will attain them.
So, we have hard work to do — but it’s good work. Our creativity, our resolve, and our resilience, girded by our Clark values, give us the formidable combination that will move us toward Clark University’s brightest future. I look forward to all of us doing great things together in the new year, and well beyond. There is so much more to come and I could not be happier to be pursuing it with you.
Michael and I wish you and your families a joyous and peaceful holiday season, and I appreciate very much that you took the time to hear my perspective on the state of our great university.
Thank you.