Good afternoon, everyone.
It’s a pleasure to welcome you all to our Matriculation Convocation ceremony at Lawrence University.
Today, we celebrate the incredible community of Lawrentians. Let’s start by acknowledging the outstanding performance you just enjoyed, presented by our very own first-year students. Their talent and enthusiasm set a wonderful tone for the year ahead.
To our new first-year and transfer students, I hope you had a great welcome week and are starting to feel at home on campus. And a warm welcome back to our returning students—your commitment and passion continue to enrich our community. I also want to express my deep appreciation to our faculty and staff, whose guidance and expertise play a crucial role in our success.
Finally, I am excited to introduce our new faculty members. Please stand and be recognized.
I’m delighted to welcome you all to Lawrence where, since our founding in 1847, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other constituents have pursued excellence with integrity.
This is a special year for our community as we are celebrating 150 years of both the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music and the Lawrence Community Music School.
The journey began in 1874 when former President George McKendree Steele proposed the establishment of a Conservatory of Music to the Lawrence University Board of Trustees.
That same year, the Lawrence Community Music School was founded, marking the formal start of our music program with a mission to provide music instruction to the wider community.
As we celebrate this milestone, we will honor our rich legacy and embrace our promising future through special events, commissioned music, and other showcases highlighting the talent of past, present, and future musicians.
To kick off these festivities, it is my pleasure to introduce a special guest who supports our city’s cultural scene and is also a proud Lawrence University alumnus. Please join me in welcoming Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford, who will present a special proclamation in honor of our Conservatory’s milestone anniversary.
Mayoral Proclamation
Whereas, in 1874, the Lawrence University Board of Trustees adopted a proposal to establish a Conservatory of Music on its Appleton campus, allowing students to pursue a diploma in the study of music;
Whereas, in conjunction with the formal beginning of the music program, Lawrence University began music instruction for the Appleton community with the formation of what today is known as the Lawrence Community Music School, a beacon of music education and performance opportunities for all ages; and
Whereas, in 1887, a Bachelor of Music degree program was introduced, the centerpiece of an expanded music course of study that elevated the Conservatory to new heights, putting it on par with Conservatories that were flourishing on the East and West Coasts; and
Whereas, in 1906, property on the north side of College Avenue was purchased by Lawrence University to eventually house Conservatory facilities, leading to the construction in 1919 of the 1,200-seat Memorial Chapel, a gorgeous performance space that remains one of the architectural jewels of Appleton.
Whereas, in 1959, the Conservatory of Music expanded its physical space with the opening of the Music-Drama Center adjacent to Memorial Chapel, housing faculty studios and unveiling beautiful performance stages for Lawrence students, faculty, and visiting artists.
Whereas, the Conservatory of Music has built and sustained world-renowned programs in music and music education, has consistently earned national honors, has featured a faculty of high-achieving artists and educators, and has provided performance brilliance time and again for residents of the Fox River Valley.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Jacob A. Woodford, Mayor of the City of Appleton, Wisconsin, and proud Lawrence University alumnus, do hereby proclaim Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, as
Lawrence University Conservatory of Music 150th Anniversary Day
… in Appleton and encourage residents to celebrate the benefits of being home to this renowned music conservatory and brilliant community music school and look forward to generations of partnerships to come.
Thank you, Mayor Woodford, for being a part of our celebration and for your ongoing commitment to Lawrence University. Your support means a great deal and we look forward to seeing you at our 150th year celebration performances throughout the year.
As I shared during last week’s welcome, Lawrentians have created many traditions that help us connect with our community and with each other. Today’s Matriculation Convocation is one such tradition. It marks the start of the academic year by officially welcoming all faculty, students, and staff back to campus.
In reflecting on our traditions and our path forward, I was struck by a recent Chronicle of Higher Education piece entitled, “Surviving as a Small College.” This collection of articles and opinion pieces explores the current landscape for small colleges like ours.
It highlighted the significant challenges that smaller colleges—and higher education as a whole—have faced in recent years. Combatting the demographic cliff posed by a declining number of high school graduates requires that schools, including Lawrence, take proactive measures.
While the piece didn’t introduce many new ideas, it reinforced my belief that—despite the bumpy road ahead for small liberal arts colleges—Lawrence is on the right track.
Before I explain, let me first highlight seven key themes identified in the piece as crucial for success.
- Enrollment growth is both possible and essential.
- To achieve growth, colleges must invest not just in facilities but also in academic programs and student experiences to meet evolving needs.
- Colleges must lean into what makes them distinctive in order to attract new students and align with their core values.
- Career preparation is critical to parents and students.
- Multi-year budgeting enables colleges to plan more strategically and be financially sustainable.
- To address financial challenges, colleges must diversify revenue streams.
- Finally, making informed decisions about programs requires solid data.
In hearing these seven themes, you may be wondering can Lawrence University address each, while remaining true to its liberal arts mission. Without hesitation, I say we are already well down that path.
In 2022, we embarked on a transformative journey, bringing together key coalitions to assess Lawrence University’s position in relation to other institutions, the evolving higher education landscape, and public discourse. With the aid of this comprehensive exploration, we developed a five-year strategic plan. We are centered on three core priorities: academic excellence, student outcomes, and financial sustainability.
Our priorities help us adapt to a changing world while staying true to our liberal arts roots. The initiatives we’ve launched are both challenging and exciting.
Embracing change is never easy—it involves rethinking cherished traditions and accepting new realities. It’s a process of mourning what we leave behind but also finding joy and growth in the opportunities that lie ahead.
Let’s look at our work in the context of the seven themes introduced earlier.
Theme #1, Enrollment growth, is crucial for Lawrence University’s future. We are committed to attracting a diverse and talented student body to enrich our academic community. To achieve this, we are leveraging advanced tools and technologies to connect with prospective students more effectively.
Our collaboration with external data, technology, and marketing partners like MARKETview allows us to utilize real-time data to inform our decisions, while EAB supports our recruitment and student engagement efforts, providing valuable insights to enhance our approach. The outcomes from this work are evident in data.
Financial support remains a key focus in both recruiting and retaining students. Nearly all our students receive financial aid, including scholarships funded by alumni and initiatives like the Lawrence Advantage that help make a Lawrence education more accessible.
We are refining our recruitment strategies to include students affected by changes at other institutions. This year, we welcomed 58 transfer students, exceeding our goal of 25. Among them are students from Northland College who joined through our teach-out program, highlighting our commitment to supporting transfer students.
Additionally, we have expanded our program offerings to align with student interests.
Our new Business and Entrepreneurship major, now among our most popular, blends business skills with a liberal arts education, providing students with the flexibility to explore various fields and enhance their career opportunities. Thank you to Adam Galambos, Dena Skran, and other faculty members for your exceptional work in developing this program.
Starting in spring 2025, we will introduce men’s and women’s lacrosse, reflecting our aim to broaden athletic opportunities and appeal to students who value both academics and sports. Men’s coach, Mikey Zadroga, with support from others, recruited 24 first-year and transfer students to join the Lawrence community. Well done, Mikey.
To remain relevant and competitive, we must continuously invest.
Today, those investments are easily recognized in the development of new facilities; however, the true differentiators are in our new academic programs and student experiences.
Of course, last week’s opening of Fox Commons residential spaces was a historic moment for Lawrence. Students were thrilled that we heard them when they asked for more modern housing that will prepare them for the real world.
This fall, we will also open the Business and Entrepreneurship Center at Fox Commons. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a nexus for collaboration between students, business leaders, and health professionals.
It includes a multipurpose room for interactive seminars, a stage platform for performances and pitch competitions, as well as a finance lab equipped with advanced data analysis and finance terminals.
Next summer, we will also introduce the Pre-Health Commons, designed to support academic programs and career development with spaces for collaborative training and a test kitchen focused on nutrition and wellness.
Together, these Fox Commons amenities will also position Lawrence as a community resource providing opportunities like consultation for local businesses, specialized business courses, and entrepreneurship workshops.
Not to be outdone, the Humanities Center, a groundbreaking new space opening next year in West Campus, will integrate disciplines like math, computer science, and data science with traditional humanities, offering a more comprehensive learning experience. This center will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration on digital humanities projects, supported by advanced tools and software.
West Campus is the first building on campus intentionally designed to integrate disciplines across the divisions. A sound-proofed classroom and teaching studios and a state-of-the-art production studio will bring our Con faculty into a space also populated with faculty from the college.
To equip our faculty for evolving teaching methods, the Center for Teaching Excellence has introduced a new interactive classroom in Briggs Hall with advanced teaching technologies.
This space enables faculty to experiment with new techniques and reflect on their practices, enhancing their professional development alongside existing CTE resources. Thanks to Stephanie Burdick-Shepherd who did a tremendous job leading this effort.
Additionally, Harper Hall is set to undergo renovations in December to modernize its performance space with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment. These upgrades will enhance the hall’s functionality and appeal, making it a valuable venue for a wide range of activities and audiences.
These investments reflect a commitment to providing a transformative educational experience. To better tell that story, and thanks to a historic board investment in our future, we are also working with Truth and Consequences marketing firm to refine our value proposition and elevate our brand.
Many institutions attempt to distinguish themselves in ways that do not resonate with students and their families. They emphasize factors that fail to support enrollment growth. Through the research of SimpsonScarborough, it was reinforced that Lawrence University’s ability to support multi-interested students is a strength that is consistent with our mission and culture and attracts students.
As we establish new programs and investments, we will continue to lean into and enhance those programs that have long distinguished Lawrence University as a leading liberal arts college.
For example, our signature First-Year Studies Program, a long-time Lawrence intellectual tradition, was recently updated with input from both faculty and students.
The theme and programming aim to equip students with the academic and intellectual skills essential for a successful college career. Thank you to Scott Corry and members of the First-Year Studies Task Force for your leadership in setting a new paradigm for the future.
In complement, we’ve created a first-year experience with multiple programs to support students’ intellectual curiosity, career discernment, self-empowerment, wellness, and resilience. This includes our highly interactive welcome week that many of you experienced last week. Thanks to Kristi Koshuta, the Orientation Leaders, and Kristi’s team for an outstanding week of activities.
As a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music, we are committed to enhancing both our academic and artistic programs. Creativity fostering creativity is a hallmark of the Lawrence experience.
Under this principle, I am excited to introduce our new Creator in Residence initiative, funded by a generous donor grant. This role will bring well-known creators—musicians, writers, scientists, curators and more—into our community to lead engaging programs, collaborate with faculty, and participate in events. We will be announcing our first Creator in Residence soon.
While we are excited about these programs, both students and their families have expectations for highly defined career models that will help drive student success after Lawrence.
As stated in Surviving as a Small College, “Expensive marketing and finely tuned enrollment-management and financial-aid operations can be critical for a college’s success, but they can’t make up for an unconvincing educational experience whose benefits can’t be made succinctly plain.”
Fortunately, studying the liberal arts and preparing for a career are not odds.
Reflecting on the wisdom of former Lawrence University President Richard Warch, we recognize that a liberal arts education is both a privilege and a challenge. It offers transformative opportunities through open inquiry, dedication to excellence, and character development. To be liberally educated is to master essential skills, think critically, and embrace the joys of learning.
Our challenge is to honor these traditions while embracing new opportunities that prepare students for careers of the future.
Lawrence University is taking significant steps to enhance career preparation without compromising our commitment to the liberal arts. We’ve secured a nearly $48,000 NetVUE grant to integrate career discernment into our humanities curriculum, making the practical benefits of a liberal arts education more evident to students. This initiative aims to connect academic experiences with career pathways, reinforcing our dedication to blending liberal arts education with career readiness. Gratitude to Connie Kassor and Kevin Gaw for leading this effort.
Our key projects on West Campus and in Fox Commons are pivotal in advancing this integration.
With dedicated cocurricular spaces for business, entrepreneurship, and pre-health studies, these developments will include mentorship and internship opportunities facilitated through partnerships with local organizations like the Trout Museum, Mosaic Family Health, Prevea Health, and gener8tor.
We will expand and replicate the incredible work that Beth De Stasio has for many years been guiding in the pre-health area. Beth, thank you for laying the groundwork on which we can build.
As we expand on-campus programs, the Career Center is increasing access to internships, job placements, and experiences, like the recent Chicago Business Trek. This event connected 25 students with Lawrence alumni and top business professionals in the Greater Chicago market.
Participants networked, developed their pre-professional skills, and explored their career passions.
These programs will aid us in improving outcomes for our students while improving our rankings. To illustrate, 50% of the US News and World Report methodology is based on student outcomes.
While our focus is setting our students on a path to career success, enhancing rankings is a positive outcome as well. Rankings and gainful employment at graduation are critical components of the college search process for most families. In fact, the annual freshman survey, conducted in 2022 by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles, found that 81% of respondents cited getting a job as “very important” in their decision to go to college, the top response.
We recognize that strategic investments are necessary to be competitive now and in the future. Of course, these investments come with a cost.
As we develop programs to boost enrollment, it’s equally important to adopt a dynamic financial plan that offers a comprehensive view of our financial health, includes multiple sources of revenue, and allows us to anticipate and navigate future challenges more effectively.
Our new, 10-year financial model moves Lawrence University’s focus on enrollment and tuition dollars, to include more emphasis on advancement activities, community partnerships, and alternative revenue streams.
For instance, we’re expanding our summer programs, which will attract students during the off-season and provide additional income. We’re also enhancing our seminars at Björklunden, which will not only enrich our academic offerings but also generate additional revenue through program fees. Moreover, we’re leveraging Björklunden as a rental space, creating a new revenue stream by offering this picturesque venue for events and gatherings, without compromising programming for students.
Furthermore, we are incorporating alternative revenue opportunities into our new building initiatives. The market-rate apartments on the third and fourth floors of West Campus will provide another source of income to help offset costs, starting next fall.
Another exciting initiative to be announced soon is “Lawrence at Night.”
Designed for working professionals and lifelong learners, this program will offer flexible, evening courses that will both generate additional revenue and extend our educational reach and impact. We have eleven courses scheduled for this fall and I want to thank the faculty for engaging in the process.
These efforts to diversify our revenue sources will help Lawrence University remain financially resilient and capable of continuing its commitment to excellence in education and student outcomes. By broadening our financial base, we can invest more fully in our students, programs, and campus infrastructure, all while maintaining a balanced and sustainable approach to our strategic goals.
Today, we face a critical juncture where our decisions about programs must be guided by rigorous, data-informed analysis.
Regularly reviewing and refining our academic, administrative, and athletic programs is essential to our long-term success.
Earlier this year, we engaged UQ Solutions to support our academic program review process. A task force of faculty and staff are using the collected data to evaluate and categorize academic programs, with recommendations to be shared with the campus community later this academic year. This process is crucial for ongoing improvement, and we aim to build our capacity for ongoing self-reviews.
Last year, we conducted an administrative review benchmarking Lawrence University against 11 peer institutions. Those results were presented to the Board of Trustees this spring.
Key outcomes include the creation of a procurement function to streamline contract reviews, a data governance initiative led by information technology and institutional research, and ongoing evaluations of our enrollment strategies and internal communication methods for campus updates.
In athletics, we have hired a consulting agency to audit our programs and their impact on enrollment and budget. This review is expected to conclude by the end of the year.
By integrating these review processes into our commitment to institutional excellence, we aim to make informed decisions that optimize our resources and better serve our students, faculty, and community.
Today, Lawrence University is a story of continuity and change. Continuity in our commitment to our distinctive institutional identity as a college of liberal arts and sciences and conservatory of music. Change in the evolution of strategies that give us the competitive advantages necessary to grow and thrive.
No small liberal arts college has survived without the collaborative work of its community members. Last month, the leadership of the university, faculty, staff, and administration, gathered for a retreat to discuss our best path forward. We agreed that to preserve what we love about Lawrence, we must work together. As Nancy Wall stated, “there is no us and them, only us.”
It has been a difficult road, and we will face many more challenges ahead. I am confident that our plan will help us steer clear of the pitfalls that have impacted so many other small private colleges.
If each of us chooses to work together, we can, and will, honor the light that Lawrence has brought to the world for 177 years.
We are on the right track. I know that it may be hard to see the light at the end of the track’s tunnel. But the light is there. Lawrence is the light. We have a plan, we have an exceptional faculty, a committed and talented staff, a supportive board, enthusiastic alumni, and students poised to change the world.