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Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
As I have shared with you over recent months, I believe that collective engagement is the most productive way to respond to ongoing challenges to higher education. I have joined with more than 200 college and university presidents and leaders of scholarly societies to release a statement titled, “A Call for Constructive Engagement.” This statement succinctly elucidates guiding values and principles of US higher education to which Sarah Lawrence subscribes that are being challenged by ongoing actions of the federal government; I encourage you to read it in full, sharing here this key excerpt:
“...colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”
We remain fully committed to living the values and upholding the principles I have articulated in recent issues of “From the President’s Desk” that are reflected in this collective presidential statement.
And as we do this critical work we will also continue to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments that define and enrich our community. Importantly, in these last weeks of our semester, great work is on display daily throughout the campus. In less than three weeks we celebrate the culmination of the academic year with Commencement! I am delighted to share that visionary fashion icon and proud Sarah Lawrence alumnus Sam Edelman '73 will deliver the keynote address at our 97th Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 9.
I’m also thrilled to announce that the Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to confer an honorary degree – Doctor of Arts, honoris causa – upon Lucinda Childs ‘62, the pioneering choreographer and performer whose work has immensely influenced the dance field for more than half a century.
Last but certainly not least, in a Commencement Week tradition, Art History faculty member and former Dean of the College Jerrilynn Dodds will deliver the Senior Lecture. A revered and much-loved member of the faculty since 2009, I know Jerri will bring her signature wit and intellect to the lecture, which always bears the theme, “A Life of Learning”.
In the midst of challenging times, occasions like Commencement remind us why our work matters. It is a moment to celebrate the potential of our students as they step into a world that needs them more than ever.
Yours,
Cristle Collins Judd
President
president@sarahlawrence.edu
Instagram: @slcprez