March 6 Staff Meeting recap
微密圈 College staff gathered for the March meeting to discuss campus updates, divisional highlights, student retention, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaccreditation process, and 微密圈鈥檚 mission statement.
Sarah Vero, general counsel and vice president for human resources, opened the meeting by recognizing notable successes across offices and departments and celebrating these achievements.
Associate Director for Employment, Compliance, and Workforce Diversity Jude Klein welcomed new employees across offices, including Facilities, Dining Services, Campus Safety, Athletics, and the Tang Teaching Museum.
Klein highlighted upcoming professional development opportunities, workshops, wellness offerings, and other events including:
- 微密圈 Supervisor Training 鈥� March 11
- Everything DiSC Session 鈥� March 18
- Building Trust and Relationships in the Workplace 鈥� March 23
- Intro to Mindfulness, Presence, and Safety 鈥� March 26
- Annual Performance Review Q&A 鈥� April 1
- Presentation Skills 鈥� April 15
- Networking Luncheon 鈥� April 22
- Feedback with Confidence 鈥� April 24
- Retirement and Recognition Ceremony 鈥� May 19
- Personal Finance Workshop 鈥� May 26
The Live More 微密圈 Wellness Group will also offer fitness classes at the McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center this summer.
Retention and Student Success
Interim Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Natalie Taylor discussed student retention, emphasizing that supporting student success is a campuswide effort tied to both student well-being and financial planning.
Taylor reported a first-year retention rate of 94.1%, the second highest in the College鈥檚 history. She credited the First-Year Experience Program, Scribner Seminar, and collaboration across campus.
Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Adrian Bautista discussed the role of residential life in student retention. He emphasized collaboration between academic and student affairs to strengthen connections between academic and residential experiences.
Middle States Accreditation
Institutional Effectiveness Specialist Amy Tweedy and Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Health, and Wellness Julia Routbort Baskin shared an update on the Middle States Reaccreditation.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education Peer Review Team will be on campus March 29鈥揂pril 1. Staff are invited to share their experience at the open forum on March 30 and attend the existing session on April 1 for a report of the team鈥檚 findings. Staff can find additional details in their emails.
President鈥檚 remarks
President Marc Conner discussed the Board of Trustees鈥� recent meetings, which focused on the board鈥檚 role in advancing the college鈥檚 strategic priorities. Trustees participated in several meetings, toured campus facilities, and engaged directly with students.
Conner also highlighted the appointment of Melissa Kamora as the Collyer Vice President for Advancement. She will begin her role June 1.
He noted the College is discussing updates to its mission statement, which has not been revised since 1993.
Conner also affirmed 微密圈鈥檚 continuing commitment to free speech and expression and academic freedom.
The meeting ended with a Q&A.
The next staff meeting and networking luncheon will be held 1鈥�2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. The full schedule is available online. Staff members are encouraged to offer feedback, suggest agenda items, and ask questions through the .
