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FROM
THE
PRESIDENT
Adapting to a Changing World Gregory S. Woodward
Dear Friends, We recently celebrated the graduation of students from the classes of 2020 and 2021—in five ceremonies over two days at the XL Center in Hartford. We recognize these graduates who persevered through a period unlike any other in our collective memories. These resilient and creative students epitomize an inner spirit running through this generation that helps push them to finish what they start, to find success in the face of tough odds, and to turn their dreams into realities through hard work, patience, tenaciousness, and a willingness to adapt to a rapidly changing world. Francis X. and Nancy Hursey, from an earlier generation or two of UHart alumni, have shown the same determined spirit in their own amazing story of professional achievement and personal resiliency. Through incredible ingenuity and daily hard work in engineering and health care, the Hurseys have literally saved the lives of thousands of people and will better the lives of thousands of future UHart students through their inventions, care, and generosity. At our soon-to-open Hursey
engaged in conversations at the Board Center on campus, the future of health and campus level about the best ways care, engineering, and technology will to provide an exceptional academic unfold before our very eyes, day by day and campus experience for all students, and generation by generation. of which our intercollegiate athletics One hundred years is a long time. Yet, program is an integral part. The Board The Hartt School has been at the top of its game for that long a stretch; changing participated in a process that aligns with their responsibilities as fiduciaries with the times, embodying excellence in and visionaries on behalf of all students, a hyper-competitive world, and creating faculty, and staff. This ongoing process a century-long span of empathy and took into consideration some of the stark emotion, expression and energy. A list fiscal and enrollment realities that exist of stars, educators, artists, and award across all of higher education today winners would take up the rest of this and those associated with our budget magazine! Thank you as you raise our and offerings. spirits, express our anguish and joy, and The NCAA Division III philosophy make our daily lives so much richer by states that colleges and universities what you work so hard to do. Here’s to “place the highest priority on the overall another 100! quality of the educational experience Resiliency, patience, hard work, never and on the successful completion of giving up, realizing your dreams, adaptall students’ academic programs.” The ing as needed, and seizing the moment; Board embraces this model and encourour graduating students, Frank and ages the campus to seek and build Nancy Hursey, and The Hartt School bridges that span the academic and have done it all. sport opportunities that are hallmarks Showing those same traits this past of higher education. The Board and I are March, our men’s basketball team grateful for all that our student-athletes earned its first-ever America East chamand athletics staff contribute to the pionship and NCAA Tournament berth. University community. Congratulations to the Hawks’ players As we move forward, regents and and coaches on a truly special season. University leadership are committed Staying on the athletics front, our Board of Regents voted on May 6 to begin to building a future structure for the University that equitably and susthe multi-year process of transitioning tainably supports our students’ transthe University’s intercollegiate athletics formative academic, extracurricular, programs from Division I to Division residential, athletic, and recreational III. This decision was understandably educational experiences. Together, these confusing for some in the UHart comsignature experiences help sustain munity coming within two months of and create the very bright future of the the excitement surrounding our men’s University of Hartford. H basketball team. This decision was not made lightly. Over the past year, the University has
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