President’s speeches, letters, and articles
Subject: Welcome to a New Academic Year at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó
August 31, 2026
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
Welcome to a new academic year at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó! To those returning, it is wonderful to have you back. To those joining our community for the first time, I am delighted to welcome you.
Last week, we gathered for Convocation to mark the beginning of the academic year. Faculty speaker Kelly Chacón, Arthur F. Scott Associate Professor of Chemistry, invited us to reflect on the Honor Principle and the role it plays in shaping our life together, while Student Body President Andrew Happy reminded us that this college is shaped by each and every one of us. Together, their inspiring remarks captured something essential about what makes ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó so special. This is a place where you should be able to show up as your unique self and contribute to a community in which others can do the same.
As Kelly’s remarks underscored, the Honor Principle is central to how we understand our responsibilities to one another, and we all take part in the evolution of this shared set of values. In 2025, following a campus-wide discussion, the student senate and faculty approved a new articulation of the Honor Principle. The revised language centers respect, integrity, honesty, humility, courage, and accountability. It asks us to treat ourselves and others with empathy, contribute to an inclusive learning environment, and recognize one another’s right to freedom of inquiry and expression. The updated Honor Principle makes clear that honor at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó is a living tradition. Each of us—students, faculty, staff, and administrators—has a responsibility to consider what honor requires of us and to sustain it through our actions. We all grow and change because of the people and ideas we encounter here.
We begin this year with important work underway to ensure that ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó’s dedication to inclusion and full participation are reflected in how we support each other. ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó continues to strengthen its work under Title VI, which protects members of our community from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and national origin, including shared-ancestry discrimination. Christy Martin, ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó’s newly appointed Title VI coordinator, is leading this work in partnership with colleagues across the college. These efforts build on the work ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó has previously undertaken to prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment, provide education and resources to our campus, and ensure that our policies and practices support an environment in which everyone at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó can learn and work fully.
That commitment extends to our international students and scholars, whose experiences and perspectives are essential to ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó’s mission. This month, ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó joined a legal effort challenging a new federal rule that would impose fixed limits on how long international students and exchange visitors may remain in the United States while pursuing their studies. Our participation reflects a principle that is fundamental to ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó: students should be able to pursue their education and participate fully in our academic community without unnecessary obstacles standing in their way.
At the heart of ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó is a belief in the transformative power of education. We come together to ask difficult questions, follow ideas wherever they lead, and learn from people whose experiences and perspectives may differ from our own. This learning requires intellectual courage. It also requires paying attention to one another to enrich our individual points of view and reach greater understanding.
As the year begins, I hope you will embrace everything that makes ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó extraordinary. Thank you to our faculty for the exceptional teaching and scholarship that animate this college; to our staff for the skill and care that sustain our community; and to our students for the curiosity, imagination, and energy you bring to ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó.
I look forward to all that we will learn from one another in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Audrey
Audrey Bilger
President
ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó College