May 28, 2024

Dear '24s,

Welcome! This is the first of many, many communications you'll receive from me during your time as an undergraduate at Dartmouth. The entire campus is excited to meet you - virtually, and in person. For now, so that you'll know something about me, follow this link to allow me to introduce myself: https://youtu.be/66Tix2RzGmM

As you know from Dean Coffin, "we are all in a shared limbo" while Dartmouth reviews the feasibility of fall term options. The '21s, 22s, and 23s are equally eager to know what their options will be for the coming academic year. For now, we need to wait together for more news. In the meantime, there are just a few key points I want to share.

First and foremost: We know that some of you are coping with the loss of a parent, a family member, or someone close to you. Our hearts are with you, and with all who are facing the tragic consequences of this pandemic. Our campus community is ready to hold and support you as you move forward. I know that you will do the same for one another as our newest class, and that the bonds you will form here will sustain you long after you leave.

You are our next generation of leaders. Unlike the classes before you or those that follow, you will be the first to define and shape this new era. Our mission - to educate the most promising students for a lifetime of learning and responsible leadership - has never been more critical. When we talk about leadership here, we talk about the ability to lead from no matter where you are in the room - be it the front, the middle, or even the back. We will help you develop your self-knowledge, sense of responsibility, capacity for empathy, and ability to engage in dialogue through difference. And we are all getting a crash course in living with ambiguity. The sense of being unmoored during this time has been nearly universal. But, as I've said to current students, the ability to handle uncertainty - to surf, not sink - is one of the most critical life skills one can learn. Starting now, we can all practice that together.

I know that many of you have been wondering how this crisis would affect our First-Year Trips program. Given current local conditions and health and safety considerations, we aren't planning to send you out into the wilderness in late August as we normally would. This is disappointing for all of us, but it is a shift -- not a cancellation. I promise that all of us involved in New Student Orientation -- including Trips Directors and student staff --  are focused on your successful transition, building a positive community for the Class of 2024, and introducing you to all that Dartmouth has to offer. Please check out the New Student Orientation website for a special message from our First-Year Trips Directors at http://www.dartmouth.edu/orientation/.

I will be in touch with you again soon. We can't wait to get to know every one of you over the coming weeks and months.

With very best wishes,

Dean Lively

Kathryn Lively
Dean of the College
Professor of Sociology