A Message from the President of Mills College By Elizabeth L. Hillman
Y
Mills
social media can have on
College senior dropped into my
public discourse and criti-
office hours to say hello, having
cal thought. “The Facebook
traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, with
Files,” an ongoing study of
me two years ago as part of a civil rights
Facebook’s operations by
history class. She shared that she was
The Wall Street Journal,
taking classes outside of her major (child
suggests that the social
development) this semester since she
media
had already completed those require-
fer harm, some of which
ments, and was feeling challenged and
is
inspired by classes in book art and
studies conducted by the
gender studies in particular. She also
companies that own these
expressed her enthusiasm for the merger
platforms.
of
esterday
afternoon,
a
users
well
often
documented
For
sufin
instance,
Northeastern
The Journal reports that
University (NU), explaining that she
Instagram knows from data
was a practical person, and had been
it has collected that teen-
researching Northeastern—along with
age girls who use its photo-
many of her Mills classmates—since
sharing app have higher
our first announcement of a potential
rates of body dysphoria,
alliance during the summer. She asked
anxiety,
about the discount on graduate degrees
Of course, we have much
that NU will offer Mills alumnae, and
more to learn about how
about NU’s innovative approach to expe-
social media affects us and
riential learning.
our
Mills
College
and
and
depression.
relationships.
That’s
Her curiosity and openness charac-
why the student who visited me is think-
Our students, faculty, staff, and alumnae
terize the most frequent response we’ve
ing about graduate school, perhaps in
will help shape the future of the College.
received to our announcement of a his-
Mills’ educational leadership program,
After a year of transition, Mills will offer
toric merger agreement between Mills
or perhaps in Northeastern’s infor-
undergraduate and graduate education
College and Northeastern University.
mation science program, a new door
enriched by Northeastern’s innovative
The announcement appears in this issue
that has opened to her with the Mills-
approach to experiential learning, and
of the Mills Quarterly, and it comes just
Northeastern merger.
the Mills endowment will be used to
in time for Mills College. Without an
This is the beginning of a new chapter
academic partner whose strategy aligns
for Mills. The NU merger will allow us to
with Mills’ values and mission, and who
sustain our leadership role in women’s
It seems appropriate that while Mills
possesses the financial strength to help
education, equity and antiracism, and
is undertaking this historic transition, a
Mills to recover from both the enroll-
creative, life-changing teaching and
transition I am committed to seeing the
ment downturn of the COVID-19 pan-
learning long into the future.
College through, my own life is chang-
support education and inspiration on the Mills College campus.
demic and years of operating losses, we
Mills’ status as a historic women’s
ing in dramatic ways too. My wife Trish
would not be able to continue to serve
college will never change and will be
and I have sent four daughters off to their
students like the enterprising senior
celebrated on our campus, which will
first year of college in the past month. As
from whom I heard yesterday.
become the home of both Mills College
many of you know, it’s a remarkable learn-
Yet not all share the excitement of the
at Northeastern University and the Mills
ing experience to send young adults off to
student who visited me. Many of you have
Institute. The Institute will be dedicated
live and learn on their own, perhaps even
seen the hostility directed toward Mills
to the advancement of gender and racial
more so after the pandemic’s lockdowns
College, me, other college administra-
justice through programs and partner-
and limitations. I have witnessed their col-
tors, and our Board of Trustees through
ships that support transformative teach-
lege discernment processes firsthand, and
the social media platforms that many of
ing and learning, research, and career
they have taught me plenty. I look forward
us rely on to stay in touch. The vitriol
development for women, gender nonbi-
to using that insight, and the resources of
that has appeared on these platforms of
nary individuals, and historically mar-
Northeastern and Mills both, as we forge a
late confirms the harmful impact that
ginalized racial and ethnic communities.
new future for Mills College.
4
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
