乐播传媒

Clayton Spencer announced today that the upcoming academic year will be her last as president of 乐播传媒. She will conclude her tenure on June 30, 2023. 

鈥淚 have loved my time at 乐播传媒,鈥� said Spencer in her letter to the community. 鈥淥n my first trip to campus in December 2011, when I was introduced to the 乐播传媒 community, I was so impressed by the students I met and thrilled to get a sense, firsthand, of the beautiful work our faculty and staff do every day to make 乐播传媒 the extraordinary place it is. I have felt so lucky to be part of this community, and I am proud of all that we have accomplished together.鈥�

鈥淐layton has been a transformative leader for 乐播传媒, giving new shape and meaning to the power of a liberal arts education for today鈥檚 world,鈥� said John Gillespie 鈥�80, chair of the 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees. 鈥淪he has also guided the college through the extraordinary challenges of the past several years with exceptional clarity and a steady hand.鈥�

鈥淐layton has always imagined the best for 乐播传媒, and she has inspired others to do the same,鈥� Gillespie continued. 鈥淎lready a prominent and respected higher education leader when she came to 乐播传媒, Clayton recruited a superbly talented team of senior leaders who, in turn, have worked together with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to strengthen the 乐播传媒 experience across all dimensions. Clayton is creative, generous, and fearless. These qualities have made her a superb leader for this dynamic period in 乐播传媒鈥� history.鈥�

鈥淲e have been incredibly fortunate to have Clayton as 乐播传媒鈥� president over these past 10 years,鈥� added Michael Bonney 鈥�80, Gillespie鈥檚 predecessor as chair of the Board of Trustees and a member of the search committee that brought Spencer to 乐播传媒. 鈥淭hroughout her presidency, Clayton has identified the forces shaping society and higher education and found opportunities for creative action. We would not be preparing to close the largest campaign in the college鈥檚 history without the vision, energy, and effectiveness she communicated so powerfully to 乐播传媒鈥� alumni and supporters.鈥� 

Under Spencer, 乐播传媒 has strengthened its reputation as one of the nation鈥檚 leading liberal arts colleges, making strategic improvements in the academic program; centering equity and inclusion as animating values in 乐播传媒鈥� curriculum, teaching, student life, and the daily work of everyone at the college; designing a program rooted in the liberal arts to prepare students for lives of meaning and purpose; and adapting and adding to the physical infrastructure at 乐播传媒 to support a contemporary vision of how the college community wishes to live, work, and learn. 

Institutionally, 乐播传媒 has become measurably stronger and more financially resilient. The endowment has more than doubled, from $216 million in 2012 to $466 million as of June 2021. The college will conclude the most successful fundraising campaign in 乐播传媒 history on June 30, having already surpassed the initial $300 million goal and raising more than $336 million to date to support academic, financial aid, student life, and fiscal priorities. Meanwhile, annual fundraising has nearly tripled, from $12 million in 2013 to $34 million in 2021. 

During Spencer鈥檚 tenure, the number of admission applications has increased by 54 percent, from 5,362 in 2012 to 8,273 applications for the Class of 2026. 乐播传媒 has deepened its commitment to financial aid, strengthened programs for first-generation students, and expanded the percentage of enrolled students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color by 42 percent, from 18 to 26 percent of the student body. Twenty-nine percent of the incoming Class of 2026 are U.S. students of color. 

In 2016, 乐播传媒 was invited to join the American Talent Initiative, supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies, to help talented low- and moderate-income students gain access to U.S. colleges and universities with the highest graduation rates. In 2022, 乐播传媒 was chosen as one of the first five colleges to participate in the Schuler Access Initiative. Funded by the Chicago-based Schuler Education Foundation, this program will generate up to $100 million over the next 10 years 鈥� up to $50 million from the foundation to match up to $50 million from 乐播传媒 donors 鈥� to expand the number of talented students at 乐播传媒 from America鈥檚 lowest income families. 乐播传媒 has raised $34 million from 乐播传媒 families in the first year of the program to be matched by $34 million from the foundation. 

乐播传媒 has also made important investments in the academic program over the past decade. Through gifts from 乐播传媒 trustees, alumni, and parents, the college established seven new endowed professorships. Three positions were designated to support a new Program in Digital and Computational Studies, announced in 2016, and three additional faculty lines were created in economics, neuroscience, and chemistry. In 2018, 乐播传媒 created a seventh endowed professorship dedicated to equity and inclusion in STEM. In addition to expanding the faculty, the college has worked hard to increase recruitment and support of faculty members from traditionally underrepresented groups. Over the past five years, the college has hired 34 new tenure-track faculty, half of whom identify as BIPOC.

In curriculum and teaching, 乐播传媒 has established itself as a leader in pursuing innovative and equity-driven approaches designed to remove barriers to student learning and improve the academic experience for all students. These efforts are supported in part by major grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. To optimize teaching and research, 乐播传媒 has invested over $75 million to create the new Bonney Science Center, renovate Dana Chemistry Hall, and improve Carnegie Science Hall. In addition to state-of-the-art labs, these facilities also offer modern classroom and collaborative study spaces for all disciplines.

With respect to the student experience, virtually every aspect of campus life programming has been transformed over the past decade through the creation of intentionally designed, affirmative, and responsive initiatives to support student development and success. Since 2015, 乐播传媒 has completed a comprehensive reorganization of offices under Student Affairs: Advising and Student Support, Accessible Education, Athletics, including sports medicine and recreation, Campus Life, Counseling and Psychological Services, Global Education, Health Services, Purposeful Work, and Residence Life and Health Education.

One feature of 乐播传媒鈥� approach to student development that has drawn national recognition is the Purposeful Work program. It is rooted in the core principles of the liberal arts, has curricular and co-curricular aspects, and takes a four-year, developmental approach to working with students. The concept of purposeful work is based on the premise that meaningful work, however each individual defines it, is fundamental to shaping a life; the 乐播传媒 program helps students determine how to navigate the evolving worlds of work based on developing their own sense of identity, agency, and purpose. 

Over the past decade, 乐播传媒 has undertaken a strategic program of infrastructure improvements, highlighted by major facilities projects that extend the college鈥檚 identity and resources along Campus Avenue, including Bonney Science Center, as well as Chu and Kalperis residence halls, the latter a mixed-use facility incorporating the 乐播传媒 Store and the college鈥檚 Post & Print operation. The ongoing renovation of historic Chase Hall, to be completed in fall 2023, is designed to create a nexus for student programs and services. 乐播传媒 also completed an award-winning renovation of the landmark Peter J. Gomes Chapel in 2021. 

Before joining 乐播传媒, Spencer served for seven years as vice president for policy at Harvard University. She previously served as Harvard鈥檚 associate vice president for higher education policy as well as acting executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She has served as a trustee of Williams College and Phillips Exeter Academy and on the boards of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, the American Council on Education, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education, and the Institute for the International Education of Students. She currently serves on the steering committee of the Coalition for Life Transformative Education and the board of the Annapolis Group. 

The 乐播传媒 Board of Trustees will begin immediately to design a search process to identify Spencer鈥檚 successor and will share details in the coming weeks, said Gillespie. 鈥淭he selection of the president is one of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Trustees. The search will be broadly consultative, and we will form a search committee that includes representatives from the campus community in addition to trustees.鈥�