Dear members of the Bates community, It will come as no surprise when I say that the past year has been a challenging one for higher education. Our sector is facing profound and unprecedented threats at the federal level. Despite…
“The world needs Bates graduates — always. But perhaps especially now, more than ever,” said President Garry W. Jenkins as he opened the 159th Bates Commencement on May 25, 2025.
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences published “A Call for Constructive Engagement.” This statement — signed by more than 150 college and university presidents and leaders…
Dear members of the Bates community, As we continue to navigate the rapidly changing — and at times confusing — higher education policy landscape, I wanted to share some updates and some thanks. First, I would like to acknowledge the many Bates…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, Like many of you, I have been following the recent executive orders and policy changes from the White House and working to understand their potential impact on Bates, our students, and our employees. Many…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, I write to share the exciting news that Bates, along with Harvard College and the University of Richmond, has entered into a partnership with QuestBridge, a national nonprofit that connects high-achieving students from low-income…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, I am pleased to announce the membership of a steering committee for Bates’ next major strategic planning effort, which I announced in the fall community letter. The committee’s composition is listed below. I will chair…
As the year comes to a close, we share a few memorable moments from 2024 as an offering of gratitude to the Bates community near and far. Wishing you a new year full of potential. Warmly,Garry
Dear Members of the Bates Community, Now that the fall semester is well underway, I thought I would share some thoughts on plans and priorities for our work together this year. As I wrote in August, 2023–24 was an extraordinary…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, I write to share the news that Rosanna Ferro will join the Bates community as vice president for student affairs, effective Dec. 2, 2024. Rosanna comes to Bates after serving as chief of education…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, I write to share the news that Kristen A. Lainsbury will join the Bates community as vice president for communications and marketing, effective Oct. 14, 2024. Kristen comes to Bates from Earlham College, where…
Dear colleagues, As the HR team shared in its latest newsletter, it has been a busy summer on the staff engagement front. Human Resources staff met with divisional leaders to review their individual results from the Employee Engagement Survey; these…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, Welcome to the 2024–25 academic session! I hope that the start of classes today finds you excited for all that lies ahead—for yourselves, and for our Bates community—in the new academic year. I look…
Good morning! Greetings, everyone, and welcome! It is terrific to see you all gathered here, in this special place, ready to launch a new academic year at Bates College. I’m Garry W. Jenkins, my pronouns are he/him, and I’m the…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, All summer long, I have found myself reflecting on what an extraordinary year we had at Bates in 2023–24. While we had moments of challenge and tragedy, we also had abundant cause for celebration,…
Dear colleagues, I want to thank you for taking the time to complete the employee engagement survey. Nearly two-thirds of our core staff responded, a rate that compares quite favorably with institutions of similar size. The collected data is now…
Dear Staff Colleagues, As you know, Bates is in the midst of a process of working to better understand the sense of well-being and engagement among the members of our staff. An Employee Engagement Working Group has been active since…
Dear Members of the Bates Community, As the fall semester concludes and we all (I hope!) look ahead to some rest and relaxation over the holiday break, I write to share a quick note of gratitude. First, Jon and I…
Welcome to the 2023–24 academic session! I am thrilled to join you in kicking off what promises to be an exciting year of exploration, innovation, and engagement for Bates.
Greetings, everyone, and welcome. It is terrific to see you all gathered here, in this very special place, ready to launch a new academic year at Bates.
Dear Members of the Bates Community, We write to express our serious concern about today’s Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative, LLC v. Elenis and to offer support to our LGBTQ+ community in light of this ruling. The Court invokes…
Dear Members of the Bates Community: We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision by the Supreme Court, a ruling that turns back the clock on 45 years of established constitutional principle and significantly restricts the admissions practices used at many…
Garry Jenkins delivered the following remarks to the campus community on March 7, 2023, in Alumni Gymnasium. The occasion marked his first official visit to campus as president-elect. Thank you, Andrea [Bueschel ’90] , thank you John [Gillespie ’80], for…