Last week, the College held a panel discussion about affirmative action and the case currently before the Supreme Court, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, which could overturn affirmative action in higher education. We hoped that the discussion would be sincere and honest—and that people would feel comfortable enough to express themselves, even if [...]
On October 10, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about whether the University of Texas exceeded its right to consider race and ethnicity in its admissions decisions (Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin). Institutions of higher education flooded the Supreme Court with amici curiae briefs supporting the University of Texas. Middlebury joined with [...]
My guest blogger today is Kemi Fuentes-George, a new member of our faculty, who teaches environmental studies and political science. He tells a very personal story about identity, which I personally connect with. I want to thank him for his honesty as a newcomer to campus, and I am very excited that he is a member [...]
Dear Readers, I was very pleased when Manuel Carballo accepted my invitation to write a guest post this week. As the new director of admissions, he brings to campus a dynamic viewpoint about what it takes to create the type of diverse, welcoming community we all would like to live in. I look forward to [...]
Dear Readers, I first met Jacob Udell at a meeting with the Religious Life Council, at the very beginning of my first year as Dean of the College. His intellectual fire, fierce leadership, and disarming honesty instantly impressed me. Subsequently, he followed up with a meeting in which we explored how to bring together students [...]
Dear Students, We are writing to solicit your feedback on one of the most important aspects of your life at Middlebury. A defining characteristic of student life at Middlebury is living as a member of a small, residential community. This community is where you study, play, learn, and think; this community is your home. Middlebury [...]
Dear Readers, In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I have asked Jennifer Herrera, special assistant to the dean of the College and senior adviser for diversity initiatives, to be our guest blogger. Jennifer has an interesting story to tell about how active community engagement awakened in her. As always, we look forward to [...]
Dear Readers, I have the honor of serving as co-chair of Community Council with Raymond Queliz. I have asked him to write this week’s post about student leadership on campus and ways in which students can shape the future of the College. As co-chair of Community Council, president of KDR, a member of Student Government, [...]
Dear Readers, I asked Natasha Chang to share with us part of her story, and to talk about why she decided to do her work as a faculty member and Commons dean. In this week’s post, Natasha shares her experience about finding a sense of identity and provides a very personal and enlightening viewpoint. As [...]
The recent, very sad events at Rutgers University have lain heavily on my mind—and that of many others within our community. For Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, the world should have been opening up with exciting, new possibilities; yet, soon after beginning college, he ended his own life. He was beaten down by the unthinking cruelty [...]
