A Community of Caring

What an exciting time in the history of Whitman College. In the fall of 2021, we had our first fully in-person semester since the COVID-19 pandemic became part of our everyday reality, and our community did a spectacular job of working together to keep everyone safe. Now, with Spring 2022 semester in full swing, this continues to be a community of caring.

In a few months, this wonderful community will welcome its 15th president. The Presidential Search Committee has worked since last spring to identify our next president, in a collaborative effort that involved trustees, faculty, staff and students under the extraordinary leadership of trustee Danielle Garbe Reser ’97. Even with the restrictions of COVID-19 and the need for candidate privacy, they managed to bring all three very strong finalists to campus and ultimately selected a wonderful new leader for the college. You can read more about Sarah Bolton on page 18, and I know you will enjoy meeting her and getting to know her. I have known Sarah for many years now and have every confidence that she will move the college forward in very positive ways.

With 98% of our campus vaccinated and boosted and the extra protection of the N95 masks distributed to every member of our community, we are continuing to focus on our mission of in-person student learning both within and beyond our classrooms. I am enjoying every opportunity to be with our students during these final months of my presidency, whether at athletic events, plays, concerts or just hanging out in Cleveland Commons or the Reid Campus Center.

I know these next few months are going to go by very quickly, so I plan to relish every moment and hope to see as many of you as COVID-19 travel precautions allow.

Sincerely,

Kathleen M. Murray
President