President Carter

Tag: President Carter

Brighter Together | August 30, 2021

Dear Lawrentians,

With the arrival of our fall athletes and Summer Institute participants, there is a renewed sense of energy and excitement on campus. This excitement and energy will grow when our international students arrive in early September, followed shortly after by our new and returning students. And with the majority of faculty and staff now working back on campus, the Lawrence community will soon be reunited for the first time in nearly 18 months.

I often say that I was drawn to the light of Lawrence—the light of knowledge, the light of truth, and the light each member of our community brings to campus. The points at which light intersect are always brighter than any individual light, and our strength as a community shines when we engage in challenging endeavors, share our talents, pursue our passions, and enjoy all that this rich and vibrant community has to offer.

We are brighter together. 

As the start of the academic year approaches, you’ll see and hear this phrase—Brighter Together—more frequently. In fact, I think of it as an anthem for this moment in Lawrence’s history and a reminder of our strength as a community. The strength has supported this university for the last 174 years, bolstered us during our current pandemic, and will propel us as we look to this coming year and beyond.

We will all adjust to new ways of engaging with each other as we navigate the ongoing pandemic. As I’ve heard many times over the last year, we can’t look to what we knew but, instead, must look to what is new as we live and learn together. We will continue to Honor the Pledge and adjust our lives to protect the health and safety of our community. 

Just last week, we announced the need to postpone the presidential inauguration planned for October to a time when we can more safely gather together as a community. I was truly looking forward to the inauguration and to celebrating Lawrence’s bright future, as well as meeting Lawrentians from near and far. Yet many opportunities still remain to celebrate our community, including the start of the academic year.

In honor of this historic return to campus, I ask that we show the world how bright Lawrence can shine.

  • Let’s welcome our newest Lawrentians as they arrive on campus on September 8 and 9 by helping our Student Life colleagues greet them upon their arrival.
  • Let’s gather together as a community to celebrate the start of their Lawrence experience at the annual President’s Welcome. The President’s Welcome will be hosted on Main Hall Green this year, and there’s plenty of room for all members of our community to join the festivities. Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 9 at 3:30 p.m.
  • Let’s showcase how proud we are of our university by wearing Brighter Together t-shirts (we have one for every member of our community—staff, faculty, and students) during New Student Orientation.
  • Let’s join together on Friday, September 17, as I deliver my first Matriculation Convocation in Memorial Chapel.

Vice President for Student Life, Christopher Card, will provide more information on ways you can help welcome our newest Lawrentians later this week, and the LU Insider will include additional information about opportunities to gather. I encourage you to share your warmth with our new and returning students.

We are Brighter Together, and I look forward to seeing us shine.

Sincerely,

Laurie

Laurie A. Carter

President, Lawrence University

Moving Forward Together | July 27, 2021

Dear Lawrentians,

Just a few short weeks ago, my family and I arrived in Appleton, and I officially started my role as 17th president of Lawrence University. The welcome we have received upon our arrival has only solidified the sense of community that I felt the moment I first interviewed for this position, and I am thoroughly enjoying Lawrence and Appleton first-hand as I settle into the rhythm of campus.

Over the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many members of the Lawrence community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees. I’ve taken to heart the conversations I’ve had with each Lawrentian, learning about their hopes for Lawrence’s future, as well as the challenges and opportunities we face together.

I want to share a few examples of the informative and inspiring conversations I’ve had with the on-campus community to date:

  • I am grateful for the Physics faculty for being the first academic department to meet with me and to share their passion for excellence in teaching. I also had the opportunity to meet their students who are on campus engaged in summer research. The deep connection between Lawrence faculty and students was inspiring.
  • I had lunch with three students who serve as Admission student ambassadors. They talked about their connection to campus, life-changing faculty members, and their hopes for the future. They articulated how Lawrence is stretching them and preparing them for life upon graduation. They embody what it means to be a Lawrentian, and I was honored to break bread with them.
  • I toured the Conservatory with Dean Brian Pertl ’84. While the building was silent, the energy of creativity filled the air. I heard from students who are spending the summer preparing the shop for a busy fall term, and I met a student whose recently discovered ability to create new music is transforming his life. 

I have walked away from each conversation confident in the good work our community has done to ensure that Lawrence meets its mission and serves its students even in the most challenging of times. In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to meeting with even more Lawrentians, including our alumni and friends, listening, learning, and illuminating our path forward.

As we look to the immediate future, I am most excited to start the new academic year in September, when our community will reunite on campus for the first time in more than a year. This is a moment unlike any other in Lawrence’s history. We will all adjust to new ways of engaging with each other as we learn to live with the ongoing pandemic. Past traditions will be renewed, and new traditions will be introduced. Performing arts events and athletic competitions will resume. Many of us will meet classmates, students, or colleagues in person for the first time. I cannot wait to greet our new and returning students and to feel the energy, creativity, and excitement they bring to campus.

I am truly honored to serve as Lawrence’s 17th president at this moment and to join this vibrant community dedicated to academic excellence, student success, and inclusion. Together, we will ensure that the light of Lawrence shines brighter than ever before.

Sincerely,

Laurie

Laurie A. Carter

President, Lawrence University

A Conversation with Presidents Laurie A. Carter and Mark Burstein | May 4, 2021

Lawrence’s 16th and 17th presidents recently had the opportunity to spend time together on campus. They discussed everything from their hopes for Lawrence, their respect for presidential history and their personal and professional journeys, to Meatless Mondays. They also answered questions from Lawrentians along the way.