Academic Year 2020-21

Dear Bucknellians,

I write with a final update regarding the Fran’s House incident of May 13. After reviewing the facts, it is ever more clear that we must recommit to a focus on the important and necessary work of creating a sense of belonging for everyone in the Bucknell community.

I write to share this summary report of the spring 2021 Board of Trustees meeting, which took place from Wednesday, April 28, through Friday, April 30. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, sessions were again held via Zoom. The theme of our meeting was "Planning for a Post-pandemic Bucknell," with sessions focused on envisioning what lies ahead, and ensuring that we are preparing the University to thrive in the future.

Thank you, everyone. Please be seated. 
Well, good morning on this glorious day!
A special welcome to the families and friends of the Class of 2021, who have traveled here today to join us in celebrating the newest graduates of Bucknell University. 
And welcome to the University's faculty and staff. They've supported every step of your journey. And they're here today, filled with pride, to share in the joys of your accomplishment.

Good morning everyone. Good morning, graduates and Bucknell community! It is such an honor to be here with you today. And it's even more special because we're able to celebrate in person, despite the challenges of the last 15 months.

Class of 2021, what a privilege it is for us to be here in this space, in person or online, to celebrate and commemorate an important milestone in our lives. To the staff, faculty and all community members, it is through your relentless efforts and bold leadership that we are here today. And to our loved ones and families, the ones given by biology and our chosen ones, we appreciate every moment of support and warmth that you have so generously poured upon us.

I write with another update regarding the Fran's House incident of May 13. 

I write to update you on our response to the May 13 incident that took place at Tower House, the home of the Fran's House affinity group. I extend my deepest thanks to our faculty, staff and students for the outpouring of support shown for Fran's House students and their broader community. I had the opportunity to spend time with these students on Monday evening, and they expressed their appreciation for the solidarity and support shown by their peers and Bucknell employees. I am grateful for the way you have offered your concern and care. 

We write to acknowledge and condemn a horrific incident that occurred last night at Tower House, the Fran's House affinity residence and center of student life for our LGBTQ student community, and to state our unequivocal support for all LGBTQ Bucknellians. We are both outraged and sorrowful that the residents endured this violation of the space that is so critically important to them as a community. These actions will not be tolerated. 

As Americans continue to come to grips with systemic racial inequity, we write to offer some reflections on the conviction of Derek Chauvin at the conclusion of a long and difficult trial. 

Before coming to Bucknell I was fortunate to spend 35 years of my life at another great institution of higher learning, but I've had to grapple with a dark truth behind the fortune that created it. Leland Stanford was one of the "Big Four" who built the western reaches of the transcontinental railroad. This notable accomplishment, so crucial to the western growth of this country, depended on Chinese migrants who were paid less than their white counterparts, suffered great discrimination throughout society, and whose presence was so opposed that it led to federal laws banning further emigration from China to the United States.

During the past month, we have seen increasingly alarming media reports of the rapid deterioration of the situation in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The results of the country's Nov. 8 democratic election were rejected by the military, which has imprisoned government and community leaders. Hundreds have been detained, including elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party; and dozens of protesters have been killed in horrific displays of violence.

I am writing with a summary of our winter Board of Trustees meeting, which took place Feb. 3-5 and was once again conducted via Zoom. 

Today marks the end of the first week of spring classes as well as a milestone in Bucknell history — the 175th anniversary of the signing of the charter that established the University at Lewisburg in 1846. Newer members of our community may not know that this was our original name. Forty years later, the institution founded in “the wilds of Pennsylvania” was renamed Bucknell University in honor of trustee and benefactor William Bucknell, who saved it from financial ruin.

I am deeply saddened and, frankly, stunned at the chaos unfolding in the nation’s Capitol today, and write to condemn the violence fomented by those who continue to challenge the outcome of the recent presidential election. One of the absolute hallmarks of American democracy is the peaceful transition of power. No matter your political views, understand that this is an assault on all of us — and our society.

I write to share this summary report of the fall 2020 Board of Trustees meeting, which took place from Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Oct. 23. Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, sessions were again held via Zoom. I am grateful to everyone who planned and participated in these important discussions at this critical time in the life of the University.

Good evening members of our distinguished faculty and staff. And welcome, Bucknell University Transfer Students and Class of 2024! This night is obviously a break from tradition. Though, despite the accommodations we have made, I urge you to reflect on and appreciate the magic of this moment. Yes, we have been forced to set aside some of the pageantry and ceremony—regrettably—but this official inauguration as members of the Bucknell community remains a defining moment in your lives.