Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Remember the Past, Imagine the Future

Taking inspiration from the words inscribed above the entrance to the Warren Hunting Smith Library, HWS leaders reflect on the past two centuries, the state of the Colleges today and what the next 200 years have in store.

"When we developed and approved our current strategic plan in the spring of 2020, we focused on three broad areas: increasing academic effectiveness, building financial and operational excellence, and enhancing the Colleges’ reputation. We continue to work toward multiple goals in all those areas. I have been so impressed with how the HWS community has rallied to support our ambitions even through the challenges of the pandemic. We have seen major curricular innovations spearheaded by faculty and staff, increased our fundraising substantially over the past three years, significantly increased the number of applications from prospective students this admissions season, implemented numerous behind-the-scenes innovations in how we conduct our business, and completed a significant project of rebranding and updating our website, print and social media strategy. I like to refer to the Colleges as ‘spunky’ and ‘scrappy,’ as they have always persisted through difficult times, but they also need more underpinnings of support for their journey. We must continue developing relevant academic options for the 21st century, along with building on a strong infrastructure of financial and technological support for our students, faculty and staff. With that support, the Colleges will have the ability to become even more innovative going forward." - President Joyce P. Jacobsen

"There’s a reason we’ve been at it 200 years. Students apply to many other competitive institutions, but when they come to HWS and spend time with the people here, they realize that they made the right decision. HWS wasn’t my first choice, but I obviously made the right decision (even though it’s cold in the winter). Over 200 years, we’ve accomplished a lot, adapting to what the world requires without letting go of the past and what got us here today, and we can do it for another 200. The work Nuzhat Wahid ‘22 and I have done with the Board on belonging, diversity and equity, which is probably our most critical contribution as Student Trustees, highlights that trajectory of growth and progress. As we move into our next 200 years, we see both how rich our past is and how promising our future is." - Student Trustee Gibb Shea '23

"To participate fully in the world, students need unique perspectives that connect different disciplines and ideas. They need to be able to communicate with a broad range of people and to embrace difference. If a successful education depends on being able to grow and develop with an open mind, I think the same is true of the curriculum. The flexibility to grow and innovate allows us to hold on to what we do best but also look to the future and think differently moving forward. We have an amazing faculty; they’re outstanding scholars who bring their scholarship to the classroom in a highly intentional way, helping students to grapple with big topics and to do so critically. We have incredible academic centers that help students put knowledge into action. We have living laboratories all over the region — in Geneva and the surrounding communities, in the environment of the Finger Lakes and in the deep historic roots of the women’s rights and abolitionist movements. These strengths, and a curriculum that serves all students regardless of background, will help them capitalize on the interconnectivity of what they’re learning." - Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk

"Recent years have witnessed an historic reckoning with institutional injustices, as concurrent movements for racial and gender justice have reshaped our world. HWS arrives at this moment, in its Bicentennial year, with a distinct opportunity to acknowledge our past and envision a diverse and inclusive future. Our community and our partners in Geneva are working to heal our collective wounds and affirm a community that represents a wealth of diverse identities, cultures and backgrounds. So instead of simply telling dedicated and conscientious people about the virtues of inclusion, we can focus this moment on building DEI into our institutional DNA so that we are all thriving together. We have made a promise to ourselves, articulated in the Strategic Diversity Plan, to build for belonging. Upholding that promise requires all corners of our community to practically advance inclusion. From teaching that supports diverse learners from diverse backgrounds, to inclusive hiring practices and courageous dialogues across difference, we can all reckon with this moment through our everyday choices. We can ask, ‘Who feels they belong in my spaces and who does not?’ Addressing these questions moves us beyond good intentions to a place where we can sincerely embody our values. I can’t think of a better way to begin our next 200 years." - Associate Professor of Education and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Khuram Hussain

"The world was different 200 years ago, and the Colleges have done a good job of changing with it. We’ve become more inclusive, and we continuously work toward our goals and aspirations, encouraging students to achieve success, whatever that might be for them, whatever year we’re in. One thing I’ve loved at HWS is how many different people I got to meet and interact with, which in part is a testament to the Colleges’ ability to broaden your horizons through connections to a diverse community and access to incredible opportunities. Gib Shea ’22 and I were members of the Board’s first Belonging, Diversity and Equity committee, which is one of the things we’ve done that will have a lasting impact at HWS. Imagining the future, I’m really excited for what our post-pandemic community will look like. The pandemic has shifted our ability to go places; people are eager to get back out there with our faculty and staff, so I’m especially excited to see how our study abroad program will grow, how our communities will continue to progress, and how we will continue challenging and supporting the next generation of scholars and change-makers — because we’re pretty amazing at that already." - Student Trustee Nuzhat Wahid '22

"Thanks to our proud, innovative liberal arts heritage, we’re among a select group of institutions to reach 200 years, and it’s the intention of the Board to continue that progress. The ingredients for success in the next 10 to 25 years are academic offerings that are attractive to a wide swath of young people, coupled with an endowment that will enable us to continue to provide strong financial aid and key programmatic support. That combination will ultimately fortify HWS for the next era of higher education. We recently launched the Master of Science in Management program and the aquatic science minor; we have a minor in data analytics that will be ready in the next academic year and other programs are in development — all to take advantage of the academic offerings that have been our historical strengths and connect them with what today’s students need. Enhancing and extending our academics, our endowment and our commitment to diversity and belonging will help us attract more students and cement a path forward for the Colleges’ next 200 years." - Chair of the Board of Trustees Craig Stine '81, P'17

"Although much has changed since I arrived at the Colleges in 2003, and certainly over the past 200 years, the one constant throughout our history is the power of transformation, on both an individual and institutional level. Change is constant here, and the dean’s office has evolved along with the rest of the institution and with society. This ability to transform and to grow is the primary reason why we have reached this impressive milestone. There is also a sense of continual self-reflection at HWS: we are always looking at our history, at where we are now and who we hope to become. Our history and heritage are important to our identity as are the ways in which each generation of students has fundamentally shifted our understanding of gender, of development and of the uniqueness of each student’s story. Our core values of inclusion, mentorship, community and leadership remain the hallmarks of our office, as they have for so many students and alums." - Dean of William Smith College Lisa Kaenzig P'22

"How do we celebrate our founding 200 years ago? We can’t take the past entirely on its own terms, uninformed by the present; yet it’s not fair to judge the past entirely by today’s standards. One leads to an uncritical moral relativism, the other to cancel culture. We resolve that dilemma by engaging with the past as part of celebrating it. In studying the people and events that have made us, we find stories that deserve to be told with more nuance and accuracy, such as the role of Bishop Hobart and the Episcopal Church in relocating the Oneida. Or the Rev. Dr. Alger Adams ’32, D.D ’83, who became the first African American graduate 90 years ago; he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, learned ancient Greek and the classics, became an accomplished painter and novelist as well as a clergyman, but couldn’t eat with or room with his classmates because of the color of his skin. Adams — and generations of alums in all walks of life, rich in the life of the mind — reminds us of the values associated with a liberal arts education that are worth celebrating after 200 years. Investigating these stories in both direct and nuanced ways will help us preserve those values for the next two centuries." - Dean of Hobart College Scott Brophy '78, P'12

"This place is bustling. Our student organizations and clubs lead the social fabric of the institution — from club sports and intramurals to clubs focusing on cultural heritage and advocacy, and social networks that help students feel connected to one another. I know that will only continue to grow. With an expanded Intercultural Affairs Center, evolving living/learning communities that provide hybrid lounges and classrooms in residence halls, and a theme house program that lets students program and live with students who share common interests, I hope HWS students stay empowered to have their voices heard and create activities for each other. As Campus Life continues to change to meet their needs, in addition to supporting student-to-student connection programs, we also will provide additional mental health support, added transition-related programs that help our students get a head start in becoming a part of our community, and make sure our students are able to articulate the skills they develop as a result of their co-curricular involvement as they leave the Colleges and take the first step into their future careers." - Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Becca Barile