September 07, 2015
President Schutt welcomes community to campus
Read the welcome back message to students, faculty, and staff sent on the first day of classes, August 25.
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
It’s a pleasure for me to welcome everyone to campus on this first day of classes. I know that summer will soon be a distant memory, but I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted and you’re now refreshed and ready for the fall.
More than 450 new students have joined us in the past week, including 359 members of the Class of 2019 and 99 transfer or readmitted students. Hailing from 35 states and 37 countries around the world, these students are a talented, enthusiastic, and diverse group featuring a multitude of backgrounds and experiences. They will add a great deal to our community.
There has never been a busier summer on campus than the summer of 2015. More than 220 students – including visitors from other colleges and universities – enrolled in 30 summer academic courses. A robust group of camps and conferences also added to the level of activity on campus.
The following paragraphs detail other great things that happened this summer.
The College doubled Internet bandwidth and expanded wireless access in residence halls and other campus buildings. LIT also purchased a server that will cache hundreds of popular movies, TV shows, YouTube videos and websites – and regularly update these programs. As a result, students will be able to access them from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and other providers much more quickly and reliably.
LIT also significantly increased the speed of computers in the computer labs. Students will now be able to log into their network accounts much more rapidly. If anyone still experiences any computer speed-related issue in the labs or problems with the wireless network, please contact LIT immediately at ext. 5544 or lservicedesk@lakeforest.edu.
To prepare the construction site for a major addition to our science facilities, several administrative departments moved to new locations. The Center for Chicago Programs and the Office of Off-Campus Programs are in the process of moving to new space in Stuart Commons. (Please pardon the dust while renovations are finished.) Public Safety is now located on South Campus in the building just west of Buchanan Hall. More news about the science facility expansion project will be announced in the near future, so stay tuned.
The McClure Hall lounge received a total make-over. It’s now larger and air-conditioned, and features a brand-new student kitchen as well as comfortable new study spaces.
Attractive new furniture should arrive by mid-September in Calvin Durand Hall and the Wood Lounge in Reid Hall, making these spaces much more pleasant and comfortable for student and faculty use.
Looking ahead, Forester athletic teams are poised to follow last year’s record-breaking seasons. Fall contests start this weekend for women’s tennis, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer. Next weekend, football, women’s golf, and cross country will begin competition.
Seven outstanding new fulltime professors joined our faculty and are teaching classes this fall. A full list can be found online. A number of accomplished new staff members have also joined various departments across the campus.
The College recently confirmed that 98% of our 2014 graduates were placed in jobs or graduate school over the past year. The Career Advancement Center stands ready to help all students acquire the skills they need to be successful and productive after graduation.
This fall is shaping up to be full of interesting and enriching experiences. Tomorrow will bring Forester Fair on the quad during lunchtime so new students can learn about clubs and student organizations. This weekend will feature shows by comedian Michael Issac and hypnotist Chris Jones. Look online or on the Mohr Student Center monitors for more details.
Homecoming and Reunion weekend is also just a month away on October 8-10. On Thursday night, October 8 the annual Oppenheimer lecture will take place. Social psychologist Sherry Turkle will speak about the findings in her new book “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age,” which will come out that week. Other events include a family festival, parade, and, Homecoming football and tennis contests.
Best wishes for an excellent semester.
Stephen D. Schutt
President