University Announcements

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce a few changes in the President’s Cabinet. 

As many of you know, Jake Woodford, former Secretary to the Board and Assistant to the President was elected Mayor of Appleton.  I am deeply grateful for Jake’s service to his alma mater.  We will host a campus reception for our new Mayor as soon as we can, to give us all a chance to thank Jake for the enormous impact he has had on Lawrence and to wish him well in guiding Appleton’s future. 

Since the beginning of the mayoral campaign last fall, Christyn Abaray has served as interim Secretary to the Board and Assistant to the President.  I am thrilled that she will now pick up this position permanently.  In addition to supervising the Athletics Department, Christyn will permanently assume all the other roles Jake performed: primary contact for the Board of Trustees; lead liaison to the Fox Cities, State and Federal agencies; managing real estate transactions here and in Door Country.  As part of this transition, the President’s Cabinet will diminish in size by one.  This change will help us reach our goal of lowering operating costs by $3.5 million.  Christyn will announce today a new full-time Athletics Director.

Jeff Clark, Professor of Geosciences will also complete his three-year term as Special Assistant to the President at the end of this academic year.  I want to thank Jeff for the leadership and enthusiasm he brought to this role.  His work to deepen Lawrence’s sustainability efforts, to revitalize our 3-2 program relationships, and to establish a connection with the Center for Professional and Executive Development at University of Madison’s Business School, among other initiatives, has moved Lawrence forward in many important ways.  

I am pleased that Jason Brozek, the Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs and Associate Professor of Government will be the next Special Assistant to the President.  Jason will work with Provost Kodat and me on our strategic priority of Deepening the Academic Program.  In this regard, I have also asked Elizabeth De Stasio, Raymond J. Herzog Professor of Science and Professor of Biology, to join Jason in this effort in her role as Chair of the Pre-Health Advising Committee.  I want to thank both Jason and Beth for finding time for this important work. The University’s sustainability efforts will continue to be led by Kelsey McCormick, our Sustainability Coordinator, and the Sustainability Steering Committee which is comprised of student, faculty, and staff representatives.  Kelsey will report to Christyn for this and other responsibilities. 

After over 25 years of service, Nancy Truesdell will also retire from her role as Special Assistant to the President in June.  I want to thank Nancy for her “third career” at Lawrence serving as interim Registrar and leading a number of different initiatives over the past three years.  We have counted on her dedication to the University and to learning, time and time again in her multiple roles at Lawrence.  I am thankful that she will continue to serve the higher education community as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.  Her position as special assistant will not be replaced.  I know you will join me in wishing Nancy the best of luck.

Yours, 

Mark

Mark Burstein

President

Thursday, January 16, 2020
11:10 a.m. at the Lawrence Memorial Chapel

“The Parallel Polis”
Masha Gessen, Russian-American journalist and author

Free and open to the public

Q&A immediately following

Dear Lawrence Community,

Following our announcement of a change of venue for Commencement 2019, we heard from many members of the graduating class and their families. They were concerned about the plan to move Commencement to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (PAC). Several administrators and I met with Senior Class officers, Miranda Salazar and Hoa Huynh, on Tuesday. We agreed to hold a forum that afternoon for the graduating class to ask questions and better understand the factors at play in the decision.

The discussion was representative of the best of Lawrence. Students engaged thoughtfully with this important issue and, together, we came to a better understanding of our different priorities. The University administration had prioritized ensuring a quality of experience defined primarily by sheltering participants and guests and mitigating issues around accessibility—even at the expense of potentially limiting in-person attendance. Forum participants expressed different priorities, specifically, providing a location that supports open, in-person, attendance and keeps Commencement in its traditional location of Main Hall Green.

Because not all members of the graduating class were able to attend the forum, and not all participants shared their preference publicly, we agreed to poll the entire class. The poll contained context about the pros and cons of each viable option. We were clear both in the forum and in the poll that the choice of Main Hall Green at this point means the vast majority of seating will not be covered by a tent; this might lead to a delay of Commencement exercises in the event of inclement weather. Furthermore, the condition of the Green may still be soft or muddy in places depending on weather leading up to the event. This said, we heard loud and clear from the class that they want as many family and friends as possible to watch them walk across the stage, to witness in person the culmination of their Lawrence experience. They also want the University to arrange for a rain site to prevent outright cancellation of Commencement in the event of sustained inclement weather.

The poll closed at 12:00 p.m. yesterday, and we met with Miranda and Hoa to discuss the outcome. The results revealed a resounding preference for Main Hall Green: 202 for the Green, 69 for the PAC, total participation rate of nearly 80% of the graduating class. In light of this feedback, we will plan for Commencement 2019 to be held on Main Hall Green on the same date, at the same time as originally announced: June 9, 10:00 a.m. CDT. Please plan for an open-air event.

In addition to making technical arrangements to hold the ceremony on the Green, University staff and faculty have begun arranging a viable rain site in the event of inclement weather on the day of Commencement. Please note that any rain site option will require tickets. These will be distributed to graduates at the Commencement Rehearsal on Friday, June 7, regardless of the forecast for the day of the ceremony. Please watch for additional communication about this change.

As a learning institution, civil discourse and learning from differing perspectives are essential elements of the education we provide and the values we uphold. We thank the Senior Class officers for organizing these important discussions—the perspectives and insights expressed by students helped us work toward a shared goal of making Commencement 2019 a memorable event for all.

Please remember to visit go.lawrence.edu/commencement for information regarding Commencement, including updates to the schedule or other important news. Thank you for your patience. I look forward to celebrating with you in June.

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark Burstein

President, Lawrence University

Sampson House, 711 E. Boldt Way | Appleton, WI 54911-5699 | Office 920.832.6525

During its recently held meeting, the Lawrence Board of Trustees set the comprehensive fee for the 2019-20 academic year.  Full-time tuition will be $48,822.  Together with room, board and fees, the total comprehensive fee will be $59,841, which is a 3.5% increase over last year.  Thanks to significant efforts to contain operating costs, which are ongoing, Lawrence has held the comprehensive fee increase to 3.5% or less for the last five years. You can see a detailed breakdown of next year’s comprehensive fee at go.lawrence.edu/fees.

We will also institute a number of changes in the coming academic year:

• more flexible dining options that fit class schedules, including 19-, 14-, and 9-meal per week plans, each of which will reset weekly, so you no longer need to manage declining balances over an entire term;
• a new study abroad pricing and aid policy originally announced last year, which offers Lawrence financial aid toward long-term study abroad programs, with the goal of making these transformative experiences more affordable;
• modified pricing and financial aid for December term courses to allow more students to take advantage of these enrichment courses; and
• an increase in most hourly wages for on-campus jobs for the second year in a row.

While we strive to minimize cost increases, we remain committed to sustaining the distinctive nature of a Lawrence education.  We aim to provide a highly personalized and transformative college experience, driven by one of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios in the country that prepares students for success in an ever-changing world. 

Our financial aid team plans to post aid awards for the 2019-20 academic year to students’ Voyager accounts in April. For those of you who have received need based financial aid and who have not yet completed your FAFSA for the coming year, you are encouraged to do so soon. Please visit Brokaw Central for any additional assistance.

Your Sustainable Lawrence University update

Upcoming:

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes with Dan Egan – February 11^th at 11:10am in the Pusey Room.
All are welcome to join this question and answer session with the author of this year’s community read.

What we’re doing:

• Collection bins for battery recycling have been installed in all major residence halls.
• Alice G. Chapman Hall will be producing less waste with the addition of 2 new hand dryers.
• The wellness center is cutting back on single-use plastic with 2 new water bottle filling stations.
• Residence hall dwellers can now compost food waste in their halls. Make sure you check to see which items can be accepted!

 
“Strange New Worlds: Is Earth Special?”

Phil Plait is an American astronomer, skeptic, writer and brainchild behind the popular science blog “Bad Astronomy,” on which he tries to debunk scientific myths and misconceptions.

Though never a NASA employee, he has worked as part of the Hubble Space Telescope team as well as engaging in public outreach advocacy for several NASA missions focused on high-energy forms of light emitted by black holes, exploding stars and super-dense neutrons stars.

Plait is the author of two books, “Bad Astronomy” and “Death from the Skies!,” in which he provides real science behind all the ways astronomical events could wipe out life on Earth. Plait attended the University of Michigan and earned a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Virginia.

The City of Appleton is installing a new button activation system this week for the mid-block College Avenue crosswalks between Drew and Lawe Streets. The new system will require pedestrians to push a button to activate the warning lights. This change will cut down on false activations, which can reduce the effectiveness of the lights. If you have questions, please contact Jake Woodford at 832-6850.