3 minute read
President’s Message
Milton C. Moreland
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Enhancing the Centre Experience
What a year it has been! Although many of our plans had to be adjusted as Centre navigated through a world pandemic, I am very grateful to be part of this amazing community, and especially appreciative for the resilience and hard work of so many people who helped us maintain a robust in-person living and learning environment during this global health crisis.
Together, we steered through a pandemic, demonstrating that care and concern are foundational elements of our campus community. In the process, we’ve been looking ahead to the future. An engaged strategic planning process has involved all key college constituents and includes an exciting partnership with the Art & Science consulting group. Work on this will continue throughout the summer and into the fall, when we will present a final plan to guide our growth and progress over the next several years. We have also completed a significant renovation and expansion of Olin Hall to create the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Science and Mathematics, and reconceived and renovated the main level of Crounse Hall and the Grace Doherty Library to create our new Centre Learning Commons, dedicated to student success. We also added a new campus food option with the recent opening of Einstein Bros. Bagels next to the Learning Commons. And this summer we are enhancing campus spaces for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, re-envisioning the Old Quad as an improved space for living and learning, and continuing to improve the Norton Center as a world-class performing arts venue.
Of course, our most extensive set of projects, detailed in our cover story, is the $50 million Initiative For Wellness and Athletic Excellence that involves the creation of a 135,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility that will set a new standard for liberal arts colleges across the nation. We also gained approval from our board of trustees for more upgrades to academic spaces and residence halls. These projects reflect Centre’s commitment to invest in facilities and programs that enhance student success and wellness, hone leadership skills, and prepare graduates for lives of impact for generations to come.
Because our approach to student growth and development is not limited to what happens in the classroom, laboratory, practice room, rehearsal space, or art studio, this initiative is sure to enhance the Centre experience in innovative and measurable ways. Above all, it will support an active campus culture that integrates a renewed focus on health and wellness at new and unprecedented levels for all of our students, faculty, and staff.
These projects represent a transformational moment for Centre College and will have a profound impact on our ability to offer a deeply holistic academic experience, elevating our commitment to developing mind, body, and spirit. This significant investment also exemplifies Centre’s continuing commitment to excellence, strengthening our earned reputation as one of the nation’s foremost colleges focused on leadership development and career readiness.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for October, and we look forward to sharing updates as construction begins. My thanks to all who are helping to make this vision become reality and to all of you who have already expressed your support.
As Dina and I begin our second year at Centre College, we are looking forward to meeting more of you in person, which we hope to do both on campus and in trips across the country that are being planned. In the process, we look forward to hearing your stories of how Centre has positively impacted your lives and also your ideas about how Centre continues to move from strength to strength as one of the nation’s best colleges that continues to prepare young people for lives of learning, leadership, and service.
Sincerely,
Milton C. Moreland President
