President's Letter, January 2006

It’s winter in Portland and the rain is steady, but my spirits are high—partly because I’ve come to embrace the wisdom of Lewis & Clark’s late, beloved professor William Stafford, who taught us “to shake hands with the rain. It’s a neighbor, lives here all winter.”

My enthusiasm and optimism flow from other sources as well, not least of which is the presence of our students and their buoyant energy. I also remain truly excited about the campus-wide strategic planning process that we have undertaken as a community. I am encouraged by a recent national summit I attended that affirmed yet again our leadership in international education. And I am still riding a wave of good spirits from my autumn visits with alumni, parents, and friends across the country.

Our planning task force—including faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, friends and neighbors—is working hard to give shape and definition to the ideas I presented in my White Paper last September. The conversations we had across the country last fall have already enlightened this process, and the planning group would like to hear from all of you. Share your thoughts and ideas about Lewis & Clark by writing directly to the task force at lc2be@lclark.edu, and track the progress of our strategic planning efforts by visiting our Web site at www.lclark.edu.

We have much to celebrate and build upon at Lewis & Clark. We know we are one of the best liberal arts colleges in America, and our reputation is growing across the country and around the world.

We also have much more to do. We must answer the demands that our accomplishments place on our people, programs, resources, and physical plant. We must and will continue to increase the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff. We must integrate athletics more fully into student life while maintaining the integrity of all programs. We must enhance learning and communications across disciplines and across schools. We must infuse the rich academic experience our students receive with new opportunities for them to apply their knowledge and skills. We must engage alumni, parents, and friends more fully in the life of Lewis & Clark. In all this, we relish the doing.

While these and other issues challenge us in complex ways, I am confident that we have the will and the wisdom to carry through. I am confident because the planning process marshals our collective energy to address our issues with broad vision, a sense of purpose, and practical strategies. And I am confident because of the enthusiasm that pervades our campus and that I see among alumni, parents, and friends.

Consider one recent example of how our experience is a template for our future. On January 5 and 6 in Washington, D.C., I joined a select group of 120 college and university presidents for a summit on international education. During this summit, President Bush outlined a broad initiative to increase the number of Americans trained in strategic international languages. The president’s remarks and other comments I heard revealed an emerging awareness among our national leaders across the political spectrum of the need to focus more of our nation’s resources on understanding nontraditional, non-Western countries and cultures. What is for many an emerging awareness is for Lewis & Clark an embedded principle. Our international programs have long provided study opportunities and life experiences that form new bridges of understanding and build relationships with people in less-traveled places. Such relationships are the lifeblood of global connections.

Similarly, connections across generations are the lifeblood of Lewis & Clark. What a joy it has been to hear the many stories of what Lewis & Clark College means to you! Your ideas and insights inform our challenges and opportunities, energize our faculty, students, staff, and trustees, and help shape our strategic vision for the future of Lewis & Clark.

The signposts for our future are positive indeed. The applicant pool for fall 2006 undergraduate admissions already exceeds in quality and numbers all former cohorts of potential students. Our professional programs in law, education, and counseling also continue to attract national attention and superb students. As we move toward new heights of excellence in education, research, and service, we do so knowing that your continuing support helps sustain our momentum and helps make our progress possible. We are grateful for all that you contribute to the life of our campus and the lives of our students.

Our future mirrors our past and frames the promise Lewis & Clark has always made: education here transforms lives and prepares all of us to live meaningful lives as citizens of the world. It’s no wonder that the opportunity to fulfill our great potential enlivens our spirit, brightens our winter days, and makes every day at Lewis & Clark new.

Thank you and best wishes,

Thomas J. Hochstettler

President