March 14, 2005

The Board of Trustees met during Family Weekend. Here are excerpts from President Hochstettler’s report to the board:

Your new president is just completing his sixth month on the job, and it is a pleasure for him to pause and reflect on what has transpired in this short time. There is progress to report: the number of undergraduate applications for admission has exceeded 4,000 for the first time in the history of the College; the Annual Fund is well ahead of where it was last year at this time and shows signs of recovering to historic levels; the indicators are quite positive that the Graduate School will win national accreditation through NCATE this spring; the donor societies in all three divisions of the College are growing at healthy rates; faculty research productivity is earning for the College an ever broadening reputation for excellence; and the new faculty candidates that the College is attracting continue to be among the brightest young scholar-teachers in the land. There are good reasons to be positive about the prospects of Lewis & Clark College. . . .

Since arriving at Lewis & Clark, I have made it a priority to get to know as many members of the College community as possible, as well as to engage the many external friends and supporters of the College in conversations about the future growth and direction of the institution. This endeavor has been an exhilarating learning experience and has confirmed for me the great depth and intensity of the loyalties that the College can draw upon as it moves forward. In addition to meeting with key supporters outside the College, I have been especially eager to talk to our alumni about their alma mater and the ways in which they can increase their engagement in its future development. . . .

The proposed budget for 2005-06 predicts a positive operating budget of more than $500,000, a healthy sign. As I have reported earlier, the College has achieved a bond rating from Moody’s of AA, suggesting that the fiscal underpinnings of our institution are very sound indeed.

From my perspective, the signs for the future are very positive. It bears repeating that the quality of the College far outstrips its reputation nationally, and the coming months and years will be a time of bringing that message to our wider community, even as we work to sustain and enhance excellence at home.

Respectfully submitted,
Thomas J. Hochstettler
President