Letters to the Community

Better Lesley

• Community Email

  October 4, 2023 
   

  Dear Lesley Faculty, Staff and Students, 

  We write to update you on Better Lesley, our work to create a path toward a strong and thriving Lesley—now and for generations to come. This work has been focused on the difficult but essential structural change to set up Lesley for the future. 

  Better Lesley is our opportunity to forge that path. As we re-focus and re-commit to our core strengths in education, mental health, the arts and the fields related to those strengths, we are working to bring Lesley together, academically and administratively, as one dynamic university in service to our students and broader community. 

  Why is this so important? Lesley educates students for some of the most critically needed professions in our country. It confers the most degrees in New England in specialized education and mental health. In fact, according to an independent study, Lesley-trained educators are preferred among Massachusetts school administrators. The university is home to one of the country’s leading programs for practicing artists, known for having one of the highest percentages of graduates working in their fields of choice upon graduation. 

  To continue to have impact in these fields in a highly competitive environment, we have work to do. Our administrative structures are being re-imagined so that students have a consistent, coordinated experience. Our academic programs are being re-thought to create more flexibility, accessibility, and vibrancy. The ideas of Better Lesley will ensure the future we are creating is a compelling one for students and our community alike. 

  Background. Until the fall of 2022, we had been closing a pre-existing budget gap and trending to return slowly to pre-COVID enrollment levels. In the fall of 2022, we saw a sudden downward shift. We promptly engaged over 100 management faculty and staff in determining how to reach the goals of Better Lesley: to create the best educational experience and a future where we will live within our means. 

  Over the spring semester, this group identified many initiatives and approaches to address the budget gap and make the structural changes necessary to do so in a sustainable way. In June, the Board of Trustees met to review this work and charged the university with meeting the goals of Better Lesley with three directives: 

  1) re-focus on Lesley’s core strengths, invest in their growth, and move away from low-enrolled programs; 

  2) operate as one university, academically and administratively; and 

  3) continue the work of the Strategic Framework and the Campus Plan. 

  We are grateful for all the insightful work of our colleagues that have propelled this work forward. 

  Academic Work Group. Over the summer, an Academic Work Group, composed of both of us, the three Associate Deans and Heads of their academic areas and the Dean of the liberal arts school, met frequently to review data and develop a proposed way to meet the Board’s directives and live within our means. At the end of August, the results of the Group’s work were presented to the management faculty, to engage them in the work of determining the best way to structure academic programs going forward. 

  One Administrative Structure. We also launched Administrative Work Groups on enrollment, advising, registration, and employee experience to ensure that we moved to uniform systems and procedures across the university. These Groups shared many of the results of their work during our Lesley Foundations information sessions at the end of August, and in subsequent meetings. Changes included focusing on 15 well-run enrollment intakes instead of 45, centralizing registration and scheduling, moving to one coordinated advising model supported by the software program Advise, and implementing grounding orientation and periodic Foundation sessions to ensure all employees are aware of, and use, university resources. This work, which builds on the launch of multiple resources co-located in the Support Hub in University Hall, will continue into the fall and beyond. 

  One Academic Structure. The Academic Work Group (now the Academic Cabinet) is currently working with management faculty to craft a consistent academic structure to our programs so that our offerings are clearer, easier to navigate and complete, and more accessible. Our complex offering of 77 programs, frequently without the sharing of common courses, is difficult for students to navigate and for the university to sustain. It has resulted in complicated course schedules. This Fall, over 25% of posted courses did not run. Last year, 2,242 courses were posted for 2,200 FTE students. The Academic Cabinet and management faculty are working to have a preliminary strategic plan in early October and a finalized plan by mid-Fall, which will allow us to post a much more accurate and student-responsive schedule. 

  Investing in the Core. Work is also underway to build plans to invest in core strengths at Lesley. We are building models for investing in our key programs in education, mental health, the arts, and the fields related to those strengths, so that their growth can be supported. We are currently creating a plan to expand continued support for our graduates, starting with the Threshold Lifelong Support Program in the spring. We are establishing a roadmap to bring in a significant number of partnerships with the organizations that employ our graduates, in each case offering more financial aid, guaranteed internships and joint cohort support. This is in addition to traditional enrollment work. Marketing studies showing that students need more accessible formats for study are guiding our approach to an updated online plan. These studies are also helping to inform areas of opportunity and unique specialization that can make our offerings stand out and be responsive to professional needs in Lesley’s core areas. 

  Low-enrolled Programs. At the same time, after reviewing data and asking questions of many across the university, we have made the difficult, but necessary, decision to restructure low-enrolled programs and those not core to Lesley. In most cases, this will result in programmatic areas being combined to create more inter-disciplinary approaches to learning. In four programs, where, for instance, there are three faculty positions for fifteen students, the decision will mean that students currently enrolled in those programs will graduate with those degrees, but these programs will no longer be offered as majors. To be clear, the students currently enrolled will be able to finish their programs, and advisors and support staff are reaching out to any affected student to assure their continued advancement in their chosen program. 

  These difficult decisions will unfortunately mean the loss of some valued colleagues, and our focus now is on caring for these individuals. We will be reaching out directly to meet individually with affected employees and will begin bargaining about the effects of these decisions with the core faculty union. In some instances, we have been able to find other work for affected faculty within the university, which will provide additional opportunities and lessen the impact. These individuals will also be contacted. In other instances, low-enrolled programs are in new areas which are growing, and we will be reaching out to reassure that these areas will not be impacted. Meetings and/or drop-in hours with each academic and administrative department will also be held to discuss these changes. 

  Transitions. These changes will occur gradually, not all at once. As noted, all students affected will be able to finish their program of study. We will bargain the effects of these decisions with the core faculty union, with many of the individuals affected having a year’s notice of the change. The Academic Cabinet will continue to work with management and other faculty, and curriculum committees, on program restructuring to make our core offerings even more vibrant and responsive to student needs. This restructuring is important to retaining as many options for students as possible, and we believe that the strategic plan for this work will be completed by mid-Fall. 

  Difficult Change. We know these changes are hard and difficult for our affected faculty, and for those who remain. Please be assured that these decisions did not come easily, quickly, without deep concern for our employees and students, or without significant effort to make changes in other ways. In fact, the restructuring of programs to meet student needs plays an important role. We recognized that we carried too much property, with much of it in need of significant renovation after the acquisition of the Episcopal Divinity School campus in 2018; we are addressing this through our Campus Plan, where we are selling buildings no longer meeting our needs, lowering our operating costs and investing in renovating what is core to our programs and mission. We have evaluated our administrative costs as a percentage of all expenses and made sure that they remain lower than our peers'. The final phase was to look at our academic offerings, where we had too many degrees relative to the size of our student body, and the costs and complications associated with our non-centralized academic administration. Taking the actions outlined in this letter will allow us to continue to provide the personalized education we are known for, in a way that supports our graduates in their careers. 

  As difficult as this change is, it is essential for Lesley to change to continue to play the vital role it does in education, mental health, the arts and related fields. A recent article estimates that all but 100 of the 4,000 higher education institutions face the challenges of decreasing numbers of people choosing higher education. Facing these challenges in a way that will strengthen our university for the future is what each and all of us must do, for our own colleges and universities and to sustain the system of higher education in our country, which is the envy of the world because of the wide variety of institutions available. 

  Putting in place the changes necessary to make our programs as effective for today’s students as we can must be our first priority if we are to provide the best experience for our students – and our faculty and staff - and to continue to play the key role that Lesley does in the education of teachers, mental health professionals, artists and the related professions that make Lesley University-Lesley. 

  Sincerely, 

  Janet L. Steinmayer, President 
  Deanna L. Yameen, Interim Provost

• FAQs

  Faculty & Staff FAQs (Updated Dec. 14, 2023)

  1. Why does Lesley need to make these changes?  

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health, and leading in graduating practicing artists. To continue to support these critically needed professions in a highly competitive marketplace, we are evolving.  

  2. What changes does Lesley need to make? 

  We are refocusing on our core strengths in education, mental health, the arts, and the fields related to those strengths, we are bringing Lesley together, academically and administratively, as one dynamic university. To create a path toward a strong and thriving Lesley—now and for generations to come—we are improving our academic and administrative structures for more flexibility, accessibility and vibrancy in the student experience.  

  3. What has the process been for making these changes? 

  The need for these changes became clear in the fall of 2022, when our enrollment did not return after the pandemic to the levels that were expected, as was true for many other colleges and universities. We responded quickly, and by early January 2023, we launched Better Lesley, engaging more than 100 management faculty and staff in determining how to reach our goals by creating the best educational experience and a future where with live within our means.  

  Over the 2023 spring semester, this group identified many initiatives and approaches, which were presented to the Board of Trustees in June. The Board charged leadership with the following things: 

  1) re-focus on Lesley’s core strengths, invest in its growth, and move away from low-enrolled programs; 2) operate as one university, academically and administratively; and 3) continue the work of the Strategic Framework and the Campus Plan.  

  4. What changes are we making?  

  We are moving from four schools to being one university with four core areas of focus:  

  • Education (from undergraduate through Ph.D.) 

  • Mental Health and Well-Being (from undergraduate through Ph.D) 

  • Art and Design, which will remain a college and now include the M.F.A in Creative Writing, and  

  • Liberal Arts and Business  

  Many of us have also been working on a new academic leadership structure that will ensure consistent, cross-university approaches to programmatic and operational issues that relate to academics. The Academic Cabinet, where the president and the Interim Provost work closely with the heads of each of the four programmatic areas of the university, will continue to be a key leadership group. Each of the program area heads will be re-titled as Vice Provosts, to reflect their strong central role in academic leadership: 

  • Meenakshi Chhabra, Vice Provost – Mental Health & Wellbeing 

  • Steven Shapiro, Vice Provost – Liberal Arts and Business 

  • Heather Shaw, Vice Provost – Art & Design 

  • Stephanie Spadorcia, Vice Provost – Education 

  Joining them in managing their areas, and in a new Academic Council, will be eight Associate Provosts: 

  • Catriona Baker and Christine Collins – in Art & Design 

  • Erika Thulin-Dawes and Valerie Shinas – in Education 

  • Kimberly Keegan and Sonia Perez-Villanueva – in Liberal Arts & Business 

  • Brian Becker – in Mental Health & Wellbeing. Joseph Mageary will join in June. The Academic Council will look out across the university to make sure that we are delivering the unique educational experience and quality of experience we all want for our students. 

  Supporting our academic programs will be an Academic Coordinators Council, consisting of four academic coordinators: 

  • Atoosa Malekani, Sr. Academic Coordinator – Art & Design 

  • Jen Pappas, Sr. Academic Coordinator – Mental Health & Wellbeing 

  • Venise Murphy, Academic Coordinator – Education 

  • Mary Powell, Academic Coordinator – Liberal Arts & Business 

  These academic coordinators will be led by Lisa O’Neill in the Provost’s Office and will support the administrative needs of their area but also work together to develop consistent processes and support from other areas of the university. Shannon Deiana will be joining the Office as the Academic Affairs Budget Coordinator. 

  Finally, Maureen Creegan-Quinquis will be moving to become the Associate Provost – Academic Affairs. In this role, Maureen will oversee our NECHE accreditation and help us secure support such as  grants that will benefit our students. 

  5. What else do I need to know about academic programs? 

  Lesley is phasing out four programs: political science, sociology, global studies, and a graduate program in photography. About 51 students are affected. Every student will be able to finish their program at Lesley. 

  6. Will faculty and staff be affected? 

  These difficult decisions will unfortunately mean the loss of some valued faculty and staff colleagues, and our focus now is on caring for these individuals. We will engage in effects bargaining with the core faculty union. Fortunately, we have been able to lessen the impact by offering other work to affected faculty within the university and through the preservation of some low-enrolled programs that have growth opportunity. As we move to a one university system, we are restructuring and will simply have too many staff. We are focused on supporting these affected employees and offering them resources, including severance packages. Many of these colleagues have been offered positions elsewhere in the university. The Lesley Employee Assistance Program can be reached here. 

  7. Is Lesley vulnerable to shutting down? 

  No. Lesley is fortunate to have a healthy endowment, and excess and valuable real estate that helps us to make this transformation, including investments in our campus plan. Putting in place the changes necessary to make our programs as effective as possible for today’s students will allow Lesley to continue to play a key role in educating teachers, mental health professionals, artists and the related professions that make Lesley-Lesley.  

  8. I still have questions.  

  You can ask questions via feedback@lesley.edu. We’ve been posting all the information released on Better Lesley on our website. There’s a tab on our homepage that takes you to the President’s communications page, where you will find all those messages. You can also find Lesley's areas of study chart here.  

  General FAQs (Updated Nov. 15, 2023)

  1. What is the latest with Better Lesley?

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health and leading in graduating practicing artists. We are evolving to meet our students’ needs.

  Lesley University is phasing out four programs:

  • Political Science
  • Global Studies
  • Sociology
  • Graduate Program in Photography

  
  There are 51 students in these programs. Every single one will be able to complete these degrees, no matter where they are in their course of study.

  We understand these are difficult decisions for the campus community, but they are essential decisions for Lesley University. You should know 98% of students at Lesley will not be affected by these changes. We genuinely want to answer your questions. We will be answering the most common ones you send us via feedback@lesley.edu every few weeks with communications to the community.

  2. I really need to catch up. And what if I have more questions?

  You can catch up right here. We made sure to put the link to Better Lesley on the front page of our website. We genuinely want to answer your questions, so please send them via feedback@lesley.edu.

  3. How did you notify faculty, staff, and students of changes?

  We reached out to everyone personally affected by these changes to tell them individually.

  4. Are people losing their jobs?

  These difficult decisions will unfortunately mean the loss of some valued colleagues, and our focus now is on caring for these individuals. We will be reaching out directly to meet individually with affected employees and will begin bargaining about the effects of these decisions with the core faculty union. On the staff side, as we move to a one university system, we are restructuring and will simply have too many people. Our focus now is on supporting these affected employees in their transitions. As part of this process, we are working with qualified employees who are interested and have the skills to move into open positions, where we will also look to give them new opportunities to grow in new areas.

  5. What does this mean about Lesley University, its commitment to education, and its values?

  Lesley is making these difficult but necessary changes to strengthen its educational offerings. The academic areas of political science, global studies and sociology will be eliminated as majors but will still be covered in our GenEd curriculum. Photography is a medium that is part of our MFA in Visual Arts offerings.

  6. Will laid-off faculty be replaced by adjuncts?

  No. Although we are letting go of some faculty, we are not “replacing them” with adjuncts. The number of faculty in some areas of the university is far greater than needed for the number of students in those areas. As always, our adjunct faculty colleagues will continue to play an important role in our academic community by bringing their expertise to our curriculum. We also will be working to have as many full-time faculty teaching, as we know how important the student experience is. And this change will happen over time.

  7. I’ve heard rumors the humanities are going away?

  The humanities will continue to be taught as part of our general education curriculum, and will continue to be a foundation for students, a major for some students and a second major for those studying education.

  8. Can you explain how course scheduling is being managed?

  We posted the schedule of classes for spring student registration on November 1^st. This schedule reflects the work of many across the university and is designed to address the problems in previous recent schedules, where approximately 25% of the classes had to be canceled due to low enrollment. Moving forward, we’ve looked at students’ preferences for classes and times of those classes and developed a schedule based on their needs first. We believe this will be an improvement for students with more classes being offered at more convenient times for students, and more vibrancy in classes as more gather and exchange different perspectives.

  9. How are you going to operate various parts of the curriculum, such as GenEd, with the recent faculty changes?

  We made changes to faculty based on the needs of our general education curriculum and to continue to represent a diversity of disciplines to provide a broad range of knowledge and focus on developing student competencies for the 21^st century. The same is true of other areas of the curriculum.

  10. Is this just about money?

  No. We must close a budget gap, but we also must be a university that works well for students, and a university that students want to attend. These things are not unrelated.

  11. I have questions about these changes; who should I speak to?

  If you’re a student, reach out to your advisor. If you’re faculty, reach out directly to your Administrative or Academic Cabinet leader. You can ask questions via feedback@lesley.edu.

  General FAQs (Updated Nov. 2, 2023)

  1. What is the latest with Better Lesley?

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health and leading in graduating practicing artists. We are evolving to meet our students’ needs.

  Lesley University is phasing out four programs:

  • Political Science
  • Global Studies
  • Sociology
  • Graduate Program in Photography
     

  There are 51 students in these programs. Every single one will be able to complete these degrees, no matter where they are in their course of study.

  We understand these are difficult decisions for the campus community, but they are essential decisions for Lesley University. You should know 98% of students at Lesley will not be affected by these changes. We genuinely want to answer your questions. We will be answering the most common ones you send us via feedback@lesley.edu every few weeks with communications to the community.

  I really need to catch up. Where can I do this?

  Right here. We made sure to put the link to Better Lesley on the front page of our website.

  2. How did you notify faculty and students of changes?

  We reached out to everyone individually.

  3. What does this mean about Lesley University, its commitment to education, and its values?

  Lesley is making these difficult but necessary changes as a way to strengthen its educational offerings. The academic areas of political science, global studies and sociology will be eliminated as majors but will still be covered in our GenEd curriculum. Photography is a medium that is part of our MFA in Visual Arts offerings.

  4. I’ve heard rumors the humanities are going away?

  Let’s straighten that out! The humanities will continue to be taught as part of our general education curriculum, and will continue to be a foundation for students, a major for some students and a second major for those studying education.

  5. Will laid-off faculty be replaced by adjuncts?

  No. Although we are letting go of some faculty, we are not “replacing them” with adjuncts. The number of faculty in some areas of the university is far greater than needed for the number of students in those areas. As always, our adjunct faculty colleagues will continue to play an important role in our academic community by bringing their expertise to our curriculum. We also will be working to have as many full-time faculty teaching, as we know how important the student experience is. And this change will happen over time.

  6. Can you explain how course scheduling is being handled?

  We posted the schedule of classes for spring student registration on November 1st. This schedule reflects the work of many across the university and is designed to address the problems in previous recent schedules, where more than 25% of the classes had to be canceled due to low enrollment. Moving forward, we’ve looked at students’ preferences for classes and times of those classes and developed a schedule based on their needs first. We believe this will be an improvement for students with fewer classes being offered, and more classes being offered at convenient times for students, and more vibrancy in classes as more gather and exchange different perspectives.

  7. How are you going to operate various parts of the curriculum, such as GenEd, with the recent faculty changes?

  We made changes to faculty based on the needs of our general education curriculum and to continue to represent a diversity of disciplines to provide a broad range of knowledge and focus on developing student competencies for the 21st century. The same is true of other areas of the curriculum.

  8. I have questions about these changes; who should I speak to?

  If you’re a student, reach out to your advisor. If you’re faculty, reach out directly to your Administrative or Academic Cabinet leader. You can ask questions via feedback@lesley.edu.

  General FAQs (Updated Oct. 19, 2023)

  1. What is the latest with Better Lesley?

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health and leading in graduating practicing artists. We are evolving to meet our students’ needs.

  Lesley University is phasing out four programs:

  • Political Science
  • Global Studies
  • Sociology
  • Graduate Program in Photography

  
  There are 51 students in these programs. Every single one will be able to complete these degrees, no matter where they are in their course of study.

  We understand these are difficult decisions for the campus community, but they are essential decisions for Lesley University. You should know 98% of students at Lesley will not be affected by these changes.

  2. What if I have more questions?

  We genuinely want to answer your questions. We will be answering the most common ones you send us via feedback@lesley.edu every few weeks with communications to the community.

  3. How did you notify faculty and students of changes?

  We reached out to everyone individually.

  4. I’ve heard rumors that liberal arts are going away?

  Let’s straighten that out! The liberal arts and the humanities will continue to be a foundation for students, a major for some students and a second major for those studying education.

  5. How are you going to operate various parts of the curriculum, such as GenEd, with the recent faculty changes?

  Our general education curriculum will have enough faculty and a diversity of disciplines to achieve its ambitious goal of developing a broad range of competencies. The same is true of other areas of the curriculum.

  6. I have questions about these changes; who should I speak to?

  If you’re a student, reach out to your advisor. If you’re faculty or staff, reach out directly to your Administrative or Academic Cabinet leader. Also, you can ask questions via feedback@lesley.edu.

  Prospective & Current Student FAQs (Updated Oct. 4, 2023)

  1. Why are you making these changes? 

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health, and leading in graduating practicing artists. To continue to support these critically needed professions in a highly competitive marketplace, we are evolving. 

  2. What will improve? 

  As it relates to your education, we are seeking to create a more flexible, accessible, and vibrant experience with better functioning student support services and a more interdisciplinary approach toward learning. We are working to create greater ease of access to programs in modality, scheduling and ability to move among programs. Classes will have a more cross-disciplinary student body, enlivening the educational experience. Course schedules will be more predictable for easier planning. Support will be more coordinated across the community. 

  Work is also underway to invest in core programs and other ways to strengthen our support of students and graduates, through investment in key areas, deepening partnerships, building an effective online program and extending lifelong support to graduates, starting with the Threshold Program. 

  3. How are current programs being affected? 

  Several programs will be combined to offer more interdisciplinary learning opportunities. In four programs, where, for instance, there are three faculty for fifteen students, the decision will mean that students currently enrolled will graduate with those degrees but these programs will not be offered as majors in the future. ALL students currently enrolled will be able to finish their programs and advisors are reaching out to affected students to assure their continued advancement in their chosen program. 

  4. Will these changes affect any faculty? 

  Lesley is reaching out to faculty affected by these decisions to speak with them individually, and also to the core faculty union. Our focus now is on caring for these individuals. We’ll be doing that before releasing any other information. 

  5. Who should I talk with if have questions or concerns? 

  We’ll be reaching out to any student who is in a program where they will finish their degree, but we will no longer offer the program as a major area of study thereafter. Our aim is to work with these students to assure their continued advancement in their chosen program. Any student should reach out at any time to their advisor, the Support Hub or feedback@lesley.edu and we will be back to you promptly. 

  6. Is Lesley vulnerable to shutting down? 

  No. Lesley is fortunate to have a healthy endowment, and excess and valuable real estate that helps us to make this transformation, including investments in our campus plan. Putting in place the changes necessary to make our programs as effective as possible for today’s students will permit Lesley to continue to play a key role in educating teachers, mental health professionals, artists and the related professions that make Lesley-Lesley.

  Alumni FAQs (Updated Oct. 4, 2023)

  1. Why are you making these changes? 

  Lesley plays a unique and important role in the higher education landscape, conferring the most degrees in New England for specialized education and mental health, and leading in graduating practicing artists. To continue to support these critically needed professions in a highly competitive marketplace, we are evolving. 

  2. What will improve? 

  As it relates to you, we are seeking to create a more flexible, accessible, and vibrant experience with better functioning support services and a more interdisciplinary approach. We are working to create greater ease of access to programs in modality, scheduling and ability to move among programs. Classes will have a more cross-disciplinary student body, enlivening the educational experience. Course schedules will be more predictable for easier planning. Support will be more coordinated across the community. 

  Work is also underway to invest in core programs and other ways to strengthen our support of students and graduates, through investment in key areas, deepening partnerships, building an effective online program, and extending lifelong support to graduates, starting with the Threshold Program. 

  3. How are current programs being affected? 

  Several programs will be combined to offer more interdisciplinary learning opportunities. In four programs, where, for instance, there are three faculty for fifteen students, the decision will mean that students currently enrolled will graduate with those degrees, but these programs will not be offered as majors in the future. ALL students currently enrolled will be able to finish their programs and advisors are reaching out to affected students to assure their continued advancement in their chosen program. 

  4. Will these changes affect any faculty? 

  Lesley is reaching out to faculty affected by these decisions to speak with them individually, and also to the core faculty union. Our focus now is on caring for these individuals. We’ll be doing that before releasing any other information. 

  5. What about alumni graduating from those programs? 

  We will continue to support alumni in all our programs. We will also be building lifelong support opportunities for our graduates, which is part of our growth strategy. 

  6. Is Lesley vulnerable to shutting down? 

  No. Lesley is fortunate to have a healthy endowment, and excess and valuable real estate that helps us to make this transformation, including investments in our campus plan. Putting in place the changes necessary to make our programs as effective as possible for today’s students will permit Lesley to continue to play a key role in educating teachers, mental health professionals, artists and the related professions that make Lesley-Lesley.

• Communications from Fall 2023

  President's Update: December 2023

  December 13: President Steinmayer reflects on recent changes and looks ahead to Lesley's future.

  President's Update: November 2023

  November 15: President Steinmayer discusses the next steps for Better Lesley.

  November 2: President Steinmayer gives a detailed summary about what Better Lesley entails.

  President's Update: October 2023

  October 19: President Steinmayer shares an update on the future of Lesley.

  October 4: President Steinmayer describes the purpose of the upcoming structural changes and what to expect.

• 2025 Organizational Chart

  View the 2025 org chart.

  View the organizational PowerPoint.

• Support and Who to Contact

  1. For academic administrative needs other than those listed below, contact your area academic coordinator directly. You do not need to write to or cc: provost@lesley.edu any longer.

  • Mary Powell for Liberal Arts & Business
  • Venise Murphy for Education
  • Jen Pappas for Mental Health & Well-Being
  • Atoosa Malekani for the College of Art and Design
     

  2. Address questions related to course scheduling, classroom change requests, adjunct faculty contracts and adjunct faculty payments to the Registrar’s Office, or if you don’t know where to go, at help@lesley.edu. This gets the request to the Support Hub ticketing system and is routed to the appropriate staff member.

  3. If you are in an academic area (Mental Health & Well-Being, Liberal Arts & Business, Education, College of Art & Design, and Provost’s Office), send questions related to the following financial needs to budget coordinator Shannon Deiana at shannon.deiana@lesley.edu:

  • Individual core faculty professional development funds (except LA+D – send those to Atoosa)
  • Adjunct Faculty professional development fund applications
  • Internal faculty grants (faculty development grants, etc.)
  • All Accounts Payable needs
  • Budget matters
  • Academic-related employee and non-employee Stipend Payments
    • Ex. Jury Stipends, Guest Speaker Payments, Honorarium payments, Student TA payments etc.
  • Travel and Expense Vouchers, Mileage Reimbursement

  
  4. If you are in a non-academic area and don’t know who to contact about budget or A/P needs, please contact your cabinet member.

  5. For external grant-related questions, please contact Maureen Creegan-Quinquis at mcreegan@lesley.edu.

  6. Ordering supplies:

  • All except LA+D: Send requests to your designated area academic coordinator. They will work with Shannon Deiana to place the order. (Lab supplies should continue to be ordered as done in the past.)
  • LA+D: Send requests to Brian Unwin as per past practice.
     

  7. For IT support and requests, please email it@lesley.edu.

  • You can find the answer to many questions by searching the Support Hub Portal.
     

  8. To make an appointment to meet with Deanna Yameen, contact Mary Powell at mpowel15@lesley.edu.

  9. If you aren’t sure who to contact, send an email to help@lesley.edu and your request will be routed to the correct contact.

  • To offer suggestions or provide feedback to the University regarding policies, processes, and opinions, please email feedback@lesley.edu.

Communications since 2019

We update this page regularly, with newer communications appearing at the top of this list.

• Video Transcripts from Spring 2024

  May 2024 Update

  Janet Steinmayer, President:

  Today, we announce Scholar Partnerships with the Quincy Public Schools and with the Perkins School for the Blind. More about that later, but while sharing this with an alumna a few days ago, she commented that we had had a strong partnership with Perkins when she was at Lesley in the 70’s, underscoring a return to our roots as we forge the future. 

  I wanted to update you, today, as usual, on each of our strategic areas of focus.  

  As we’ve discussed before, we transitioned our academic offerings this year to a structure focused on our four major program areas: Education, Mental Health, Art & Design and Liberal Arts & Business.  In this structure, all of the programs in the area – say Education – are grouped together – allowing easier navigation by students and more cross-program work.  

  Each of these program areas then took the opportunity to do a curricular redesign to make it easier for students to complete their studies – and to open up the university – by building in the opportunity to take a suite of classes in another area. In fact, we received a letter from the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, DESE, complementing our education faculty on their proactive work, as well as our registrar and advisors.  

  And we have a new academic structure to pull our academic work under a One University model, allowing our students to easily avail themselves of the unique portfolio of programs we offer.  Our interim provost, Deanna Yameen, has more on those groups. 

  Deanne Yameen, Interim Provost:

  Thanks so much, Janet. There were three things I'd like to review today. One is academic cabinet, then academic Council and academic coordinating council.  Academic cabinet is just what it sounds like. It's the cabinet level leadership for academics that includes the president, the interim Provost, and the vice Provosts.  

  What's very new this year is Academic Council that includes all six of those individuals from Academic Cabinet along with our Associate Provosts. This group really focuses on both projects and standard operating procedures. Let me give you an example. As we move toward one university, we had an honors program in two different areas of undergrad. What we need is, without losing any of the academic quality of that program, one honors program. So, the individuals on that council are taking a look at that. They're talking to many of you as well as other people, and they'll come up with some recommendations as they work on those projects so we can make some decisions as a university. They'll also be writing up standard operating procedures so that we'll all know how things happen as well as how to make things happen.  

  Then, in some cases, in my opinion almost most important, is our Academic Coordinating Council. So much work gets done at this level. So each one of our four areas, the School of Art and Design, Mental Health and well-being, Education and Liberal Arts and Business all have a liaison in this group. So work that needs to be done should go to that liaison. Please know that much of that work goes back to the group or to that team to make sure that we get everything done, to make sure that ebbs and flows and workflow work well. But also, that team really is a leadership team. It may be overseen from my office, but what they start to notice is how we do things differently. For example, this past semester, they saw that we were actually sending out Dean's list notifications to our students in more than one way. They took a look at the two different ways we were doing it, took the best of both, And, now there's one procedure for Dean's list at Lesley, so students are notified even more quickly. I hope this overview has helped you.  

  And now I'll turn it back to our colleagues. 

  Janet: 

  Thank you, Deanna. 

  A second key part of our focus, as I mentioned earlier, has been Partnerships. The concept here  of Scholar Partnerships is to help attract and retain critically needed teachers, mental health professionals and other professionals we educate – by partnering with employers who hire them with three elements: substantial increases in financial aid, guaranteed internships with the partner on acceptance to Lesley, and cohort support meaning  - students enter as a specific partnership scholar in a networked group and have regular meetings about the contours of their profession. 

  So in adding the two new education partners I mentioned earlier - Quincy Public Schools and the Perkins School for the Blind, we are building on our partnerships with Riverside Community Care and with our own Threshold Lifelong Support Program. We are seeing double the number of applications for the programs these. Partnerships support - C/P and the masters in Social Work, respectively. And we expect to soon announce two new mental health partners.  

  Lifelong Support. Another key area of focus that will help our graduates and employers in our community involves our quest to provide lifelong support for every student who receives a Lesley diploma. This is a work-in-progress, but we’ve already made significant headway.  

  Imagine you’re a new 8th grade teacher and it’s been a tough day. You’d like to talk with someone who can understand your issues and provide some guidance. At Lesley, we have a vision – we are working on expanding our New Teacher Program to support more teachers and we are thinking about how we might support an Alumni Hotline. For former Lesley students, a calm voice and sage advice might be just a phone call away. As we work on this, we welcome your input.  

  In art and design, we welcome back our alumni artists who want to utilize our state-of-the-art co-working space and technology to work on their professional projects. 

  Our Threshold Lifelong Support program provides life coaching for neurodiverse individuals in the Boston area. Started in January, we already have 20 individuals taking advantage of this Program. Just a few days ago, we hosted an advisory board for Threshold to look together at how we help employers build their workforces by successfully employing the neurodiverse.   

  We are also turning our attention to our Urban Scholars Initiative… We’re working on developing a network of support and skill building to assist our Urban Scholars be successful throughout their careers. 

  University Structure. As part of our efforts to simplify our university structure, we are building better systems and ways to improve the experience of the entire Lesley community. For example, all but five percent of our classes for the spring term had strong registration. In previous years, we’ve had to drop 25 percent of classes due to lack of interest. In fact, we’ve had 200 more registrations at this point in time compared to last year.   

  In addition, our summer and fall enrollment numbers are looking good. Here’s our Vice President of Enrollment Initiatives, Tom Englehardt.  

  Tom Englehardt, VP of Enrollment Initiatives:

  Thanks Janet.  

  Looking toward this summer, our graduate programs are showing strong interest. As Janet mentioned, the effects of our partnerships are clear. Counselling and Psychology is showing the effect of the Riverside Scholars – with 25 additional applications over this time last year and more than a 70 percent increase in deposits. The impact of our partnerships cannot be understated.    

  In our undergrad programs, we continue to experience an increase in applications and deposits. At our last student acceptance day, we had more than 350 students and guests walk through our hallways and around our campus. During the day, we secured double-digit new student enrollment deposits!  We will keep you updated as the interest in Lesley continues to grow. Back to you, Janet. 

  Janet: 

  Thanks, Tom.  

  Turning to the work being done in and around our campus as part of our campus plan… there has been much progress. Our Chief Operations Officer, Joanne Kossuth, gives us an update.  

  Joanne Kossuth, Chief Operations Officer:

  Thanks Janet. It’s starting to look like spring around here.  

  We have some exciting updates on the campus plan for you.  

  We’ve removed the majority of the scaffolding from the Reed and Burnham building from the exterior. 

  So the students will see a marked difference when they look out their windows.  

  One point of focus for the summer will be the Sheryll library. Right now the work that will be done from May-August, when the library will be closed, is related to infastrucure.  

  It is the mechanical rooms, the roof units and the systems that will help us with cooling and heating across the entire south campus.  

  In January, when you are able to access the newly developed spaces, you’ll find things such as a green plant wall, a lounge with an actual fireplace that is water based, as well as spaces to collaborate in group study. One of the most exciting things is our space for E-sports, as well as our space for traditional gaming like ping-pong, foosball, pool table and electronic darts.  

  So there is so much to come and so much to see, and we hope you’ll join us in January when we can show you all the things we’ve done.  

  Janet: 

  Great work, as always, from the operations team.  

  All of this work, of course, exists as part of a new financial model that will keep us on track and make sure we use our resources wisely. Right now we are closing out FY24 and preparing for fiscal year ’25 – which begins July 1.   

  Here is Michael Hoyle, our new CFO, who can talk a bit about how this year’s fiscal budget process is coming together.  

  Michael Hoyle, PhD/Chief Financial Officer:

  While I have only been here a couple of weeks, I am so thankful for the warm, gracious welcome I have received from the Lesley community. 

  Having served as the CFO of Lasell University and Lasell Village for 11 years, and more recently, for 5 years at Boston College High School, I am honored to bring my experience in financial stewardship to Lesley.  

  In addition to getting acclimated to the campus, I have been primarily focused on the budget process. The FY25 budget process is underway and we expect to deliver a budget to the board of trustees at their meeting in June. Patrick Coogan is leading the academic and administrative budget managers in the budget development process, striving to maintain non-personnel expenses at a steady level.  

  We also remain vigilant to capture opportunities and initiatives that will increase revenue while also advancing the mission of the university and enhancing the student experience. For the FY26 budget process, we start that process much earlier, in December most likely, which will allow for more time for reflection, conversation, and a shared understanding of strategic priorities and how they relate to the budget. 

  Beyond the balance sheets and spreadsheets, I am just as excited about the human connections and interactions that await. Each member of the Lesley community—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—brings a unique perspective and voice. It is through our collective efforts and the sharing of our diverse ideas and talents, that we will continue to elevate Lesley to new heights. 

  From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I felt an undeniable energy and unwavering commitment to excellence. Lesley's dedication to nurturing the minds and spirits of its students resonates deeply with me, the impact of educators on my life from elementary school forward is not lost on me, and I am thrilled to be part of a team that shares such noble aspirations. 

  I am immensely proud to be part of this extraordinary community, and I look forward to working with all of you as we strive to meet Edith Lesley’s determination to provide society with talented educators, in a variety of disciplines. 

  Janet:  

  Thank you Michael. While many small colleges and universities are struggling with low enrollment and debt, Lesley is on track to be cost even by FY26, while building on our successful academic and student life redesign.  

  I want to end with three things – a very good idea brought forward by Betty-Anne and Chris from SRAC, a word about commencement and the announcement of an additional holiday. 

  I am grateful to an idea forwarded that we include in these videos the people who are working, sometimes behind the scenes, to improve our university infrastructure. Chris is one of them and we thought it might be helpful for these videos to include spots for this, starting with Chris and the work he and others have been doing to simplify and improve billing. 

  And on Commencement, we are just a few weeks away from pulling together our own family – our own Lesley community -- at the beautiful seaport – the majestic skyline of Boston as our backdrop. It will be the first time we acknowledge and celebrate all of our graduating students together – one ceremony on May 18 at 10am.  After the formal portion of the event, there will be a reception –also a new feature-so please bring your friends, family… and a camera to capture the moment.  

  Our speaker, Sy Montgomery, navigated the Amazon to find pink dolphins and examined the unique character of the octopus, pigs and other natural life – finding joy in discovering the diversity of life around us.  

  And finally, we are today announcing a “President’s holiday” the Friday prior to Memorial Day to celebrate all that you do for Lesley after we celebrate the accomplishments of our talented students at graduation. Commencement this year will be quite a day.

• Communications from Spring 2024

  President's Update: May 2024

  May 7: President Steinmayer announces scholar partnerships and shares updates on our strategic areas of focus.

  President's Update: April 2024

  April 2: Provost Deanna Yameen and Vice Provost Stephanie Spadorcia review our new class credit structure.

  President's Update: March 2024

  March 8: President Steinmayer shares academic updates and news on the campus plan.

  President's Update: January 2024

  January 26: President Steinmayer shares exciting changes regarding Commencement, the announcement of our Commencement speaker, and the launch of our Academic Council.

• Communications from Summer 2023

  President's Update: August 2023

  August 29: President Steinmayer's August 2023 update video

  President's Update: June 2023

  June 26: President Steinmayer's June 2023 update video

  President's Update: May 2023

  May 30: President Steinmayer's May 2023 update video

• Communications from Spring 2023

  President's Update: April 2023

  April 28: President Steinmayer's April 2023 update video

  President's Update: March 2023

  March 23: President Steinmayer's March 2023 update video

  President's Update: February 2023

  February 23: President Steinmayer's February 2023 update video

  President's Update: January 2023

  January 26: President Steinmayer's January 2023 update video

• Communications from Fall 2022

  President's Update: December 2022

  December 19: President Steinmayer's December 2022 update video

  September is here!

  September 1: President Steinmayer's video welcoming students to Fall 2022
   

  Welcome to Fall

  August 23: President Steinmayer welcomes students and families to the Fall 2022 Semester.

  
  Save the Date for Convocation 2022

  August 22: President Steinmayer invites the community to an in-person Convocation and picnic on September 8 to welcome first-year students.

• Communications from Summer 2022

  August 9: President Steinmayer previews the start of the 2022-23 academic year with faculty and staff.

  June 27: Juneteenth holiday observed

  May 25: President Steinmayer shares support resources to the Lesley community following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

   

• Communications from Spring 2022

  Announcing the new Deans of GSASS and GSOE

  May 12: President Steinmayer announces Deanna L. Yameen, PhD as the new Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS).

  May 12: President Steinmayer announces Dana Fusco, PhD as the new Dean of the Graduate School of Education (GSOE).

  Congratulations to our Student Athletes

  May 10: President Steinmayer congratulates the Lesley softball team on winning the NECC Championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.

  Sandra St Fleur Leaving for New Position; EDIJ Positions Added

  May 6: President Steinmayer announces that Sandra St Fleur, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice (EDIJ), is leaving Lesley for a new position, and that the university is looking to expand the EDIJ department.

  Commencement 2022 Speakers

  March 8: President Steinmayer announces that Shelly C. Lowe, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and the first Native American chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and local civic leader Geeta Pradhan, president of the Cambridge Community Foundation, will receive honorary degrees.

  Lesley Athletics joins the North Atlantic Conference (NAC)

  March 1: President Steinmayer and university leaders announce that starting in the Fall of 2023, Lesley teams will compete in the larger and more competitive NCAA Division III conference.

  Phased Return to Spring Semester on Campus

  January 12: President Steinmayer updates students and families on the university's phased approach to the return to campus for the Spring 2022 Semester.

  January 12: President Steinmayer updates employees on the university's phased approach to the return to campus for the Spring 2022 Semester.

• Communications from Fall 2021

  Warm wishes for the holiday season!

  December 20: President Steinmayer and Provost Jefferson share a message and a short video wishing employees, students and families their warmest wishes for a happy holiday.

  Save the date for Commencement 2022, recognizing the Classes of ’22, ’21 & ’20

  December 14: President Steinmayer announces that the 2022 Commencement will be on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston.

  Announcing Lesley's next steps in transition to a green future

  December 3: President Steinmayer shares the university’s additional steps to divest from fossil fuel holdings and prioritize sustainability and environmental stewardship in the recently announced Campus Plan.

  President Steinmayer's message about the Veterans Day Holiday

  November 10: President Steinmayer's message to the community to express immense gratitude to veterans and military families for their service to our country as we observe Veterans Day.

  President Steinmayer announces the Thought Leadership Series at Lesley University

  October 12: President Steinmayer's message to the community about the Thought Leadership Series, which will feature a robust and diverse array of inspirational thinkers, creators, and visionaries at the cutting edge of the human arts of education, counseling, and the visual arts.

  President Steinmayer announces the launch of Lesley’s Campus Plan

  September 30: President Steinmayer's message to employees about the public launch of Lesley's Campus Plan.

  September 30: President Steinmayer's message to students announcing Lesley's new Campus Plan.

  September 30: President Steinmayer's message to parents and families announcing Lesley's new Campus Plan.

  September 30: President Steinmayer's message to Lesley Alumni announcing Lesley's new Campus Plan.

  Convocation 2021

  September 9: President Steinmayer and other university leaders welcomed new and returning students during a virtual Convocation ceremony.

  Fall 2021 Kickoff

  September 2: President Steinmayer's Fall 2021 Kickoff speech to faculty and staff.

• Communications from Summer 2021

  Save the Date for Convocation!

  August 6: President Steinmayer invites the Lesley community to a live virtual Convocation on Thursday, Sept. 9 to welcome new students.

  Ready, Set, Reopen: What to Expect this Fall

  August 2: President Steinmayer updates faculty and staff on the return to campus for the Fall Semester 2021, including information on remote work, health and safety protocols, events and more.
  link.

  Juneteenth Holiday Observed

  June 17: President Steinmayer and Vice President St Fleur write about the Juneteenth holiday and developing a roadmap for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice (EDIJ) at Lesley.

• Communications from Spring Semester 2021

  Improving the ways we work together

  June 1: President Steinmayer and Vice President St Fleur share an update with employees about the work with the Crossland consultants and next steps related to equity, diversity, inclusion and justice (EDIJ), and wellbeing.

  Remembering George Floyd

  May 25: President Steinmayer, Provost Jefferson and Vice President of Equity, Inclusion and Justice St Fleur's message to the Lesley community remembering George Floyd on the one year anniversary of his death.

  Commencement Address

  May 22: President Steinmayer delivered remarks to Lesley University’s Class of 2021 during a virtual Commencement ceremony.

  Important announcement of COVID-19 vaccination requirement & survey

  May 6: President Steinmayer announces to the Lesley community that all undergraduate and graduate students who will be on campus next year will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the Fall 2021 semester.

  Statement on Zoom "Bombing" during Violence Against Women Panel

  May 5: President Steinmayer and Interim Chief Information Officer Joanne Kossuth release a statement to the Lesley community denouncing a Zoom "bombing" that occurred at the virtual Violence Against Women panel.

  Creating spaces for our community to process and heal

  April 20: University leadership announces healing, processing, and action spaces for the Lesley community in the wake of the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin's trial for the death of George Floyd.

  Announcing the New Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator

  April 6: President Steinmayer names Sana Amini (they/she) as the new Community Standards Administrator and Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, and thanks Heather Stepler for her service in the interim role. 

  Announcing Interactive Media Program for College of Art and Design

  March 30: President Steinmayer's message to Lesley faculty and staff announcing the addition of an Interactive Media Program for Lesley's College of Art and Design starting Fall 2021.

  March 30: President Steinmayer's message to Lesley students and families announcing the addition of an Interactive Media Program for Lesley's College of Art and Design starting Fall 2021.

  Commencement 2021 Guest Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients

  March 25: President Steinmayer's message to the Lesley community announcing two guest speakers and the honorary degree recipients for the virtual Commencement ceremony on May 22.

  Our Shared Commitment to the Asian Community

  March 19: President Steinmayer and Sandra St Fleur's message to the Lesley community addressing the Atlanta shootings and stating the university's commitment to supporting those who identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander.

  Fall Planning Update

  March 16: President Steinmayer updates the Lesley community on the university's plans to safely reopen the Lesley campuses for the Fall 2021 semester.

  Commencement 2021

  March 12: President Steinmayer announces plans for a virtual graduation ceremony for Lesley students who are receiving their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees, as well as students in the Threshold Program.

  Crossland Group questionnaire

  March 11: President Steinmayer's message regarding a confidential questionnaire sent by Crossland Group via email to all faculty and staff.

  Announcing partnership with Crossland Group

  March 5: President Steinmayer and Sandra St Fleur's message to faculty and staff on the university's partnership with Crossland Group to infuse equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice (EDIJ) throughout the university.

  Announcing Candice Iloh as a Spring 2021 Speaker

  March 5: President Steinmayer announces alumna-author Candice Iloh '17 as the Spring 2021 Evelyn M. Finnegan ’48 Children’s Literature Lecture Series Speaker.

  Counseling Center Staff Additions and Promotions

  March 4: President Steinmayer announces the new staff lineup in the university's Counseling Center.

  Update on the plans for Fall 2021

  February 25: President Steinmayer updates the Lesley students and their families on the university's plans for the Fall 2021 semester.

  February 25: President Steinmayer updates Lesley faculty and staff on the university's plans for the Fall 2021 semester.

  Message regarding Spring 2021 Plans

  February 11: President Steinmayer updates the Lesley community on the university's plans for Spring 2021.

  Announcing our Center for Human Arts Innovation 

  February 3: President Steinmayer's message to faculty and staff announcing the creation of the Lesley University Center for Human Arts Innovation (CHAI)

  Update on Hiring for Equal Opportunity/Title IX and Counseling Center

  January 29: President Steinmayer and Sandra St Fleur's message to students regarding some of the hiring processes within the DEI Office and the Counseling Center.

  January 29: President Steinmayer and Sandra St Fleur's message to faculty and staff regarding some of the hiring processes within the DEI Office and the Counseling Center.

  Announcing Lesley's Spring 2021 Speakers

  January 26: President Steinmayer shares three exciting speaker programs slated for the Spring 2021 semester.

  Letter to the community in light of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

  January 15: President Steinmayer speaks of Dr. King's message, the Capitol riot, and the work that must be done.

  Response to faculty letter.

  January 8: President Steinmayer addresses concerns about race, gender, university governance, and academic purview.

  Response from President Steinmayer to events in Washington D.C.

  January 7: President Steinmayer's message to the community following violence at the Capitol.

  DEI updates and the departure of Maritsa Barros from President Steinmayer.

  January 5: President Steinmayer's message to students announces the departure of Maritsa Barros and provides DEI updates.

  January 5: President Steinmayer's message to faculty and staff announces the departure of Maritsa Barros and provides DEI updates.

• Communications from Fall Semester 2020

  Holiday video and message from President Steinmayer and Provost Jefferson.

  December 21: President Steinmayer and Provost Jefferson send employees, students, and families their warmest wishes for happy holidays, and for health, joy, and peace in the New Year.

  President Steinmayer's holiday greetings and video to Alumni and Friends.

  December 21: President Steinmayer sends her warmest wishes for happy holidays, and for health, joy, and peace in the New Year.

  Message on the passing of former faculty member Donna Cole.

  December 21: President Steinmayer shares the sad news that former English writing and composition professor Donna Cole passed away. Former colleagues share fond remembrances.

  Welcoming Lesley's new Vice President of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Sandra St Fleur.

  December 18: President Steinmayer's message to students announcing the new Vice President of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and the promotion of Maritsa Barros to the new position of Assistant Vice President of Special Projects, and provides other DEI updates.

  December 18: President Steinmayer's message to faculty and staff announcing the new Vice President of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and the promotion of Maritsa Barros to the new position of Assistant Vice President of Special Projects, and provides other DEI updates.

  An Open Letter Regarding our Commitment to Equal Opportunity and Title IX.

  November 30: President Steinmayer, Provost Jefferson, Dean Mays, and other university leaders share an open letter to the Lesley community with recent DEI updates and clarification with regard to Equal Opportunity and Title IX staffing and policies.

  Video and message to share appreciation to students.

  November 24: President Steinmayer and Dean Mays share a video message and thank students for their adaptiveness and commitment to each other.

  Video and message to parents.

  November 24: President Steinmayer and Dean Mays share with parents the video message that they shared with the student body.

  Video and message thanking employees.

  November 24: President Steinmayer and Provost Jefferson share a video message to thank Lesley colleagues for their flexibility, creativity, stamina, and resilience.

  Message sharing the preliminary program details for the January DEI and antiracism training.

  November 18: President Steinmayer and Provost Jefferson share preliminary details of the 2021 diversity, equity, and inclusion training for faculty and staff.

  Message inviting Impact Award nominations and announcing the Virtual Holiday Party.

  November 17: President Steinmayer invites nominations for the Lesley 2020 Impact Awards and announces the end-of-year Holiday Party.

  Message thanking veterans for their service and reflecting on the US election.

  November 10: President Steinmayer reflects on what unites us as Americans and thanks veterans for their service.

  Message reflecting on the ongoing results of the 2020 US Presidential Election.

  November 4: President Steinmayer addresses the community concerning the yet-to-be-determined results of the US Presidential Election.

  Message providing a mid-semester update from President Steinmayer.

  October 29: President Steinmayer updates the community on DEI initiatives, Spring semester plans, and community initiatives.

  Message announcing a new university holiday on election day.

  October 21: President Steinmayer announces Lesley's participation in A Day for Democracy by making election day a university holiday.

  Message reflecting on Indigenous Peoples' Day.

  October 8: President Steinmayer reflects on the history of Indigenous Peoples' Day and briefly examines the history and current state of Native Americans.

  Message sharing updates for the Fall and news about the Spring semester.

  October 2: President Steinmayer shares updates on the Fall semester and provides news on the status of the Spring semester.

  Message updating the community on DEI action steps.

  September 30: President Steinmayer, Provost Jefferson, and interim CDO Barros share the action steps taken to address the racial climate on campus.

  Message on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

  September 19: President Steinmayer reflects on the death of Justice Ginsburg and shares in celebrating her many accomplishments as an advocate and judge.

  Message on the passing of Professor Emeritus Paolo Knill.

  September 11: President Steinmayer reflects on the profound impact of Prof. Emeritus Paolo Knill, an internationally renowned leader in Expressive Therapy who helped to launch our graduate program, after his passing.

  Message on the Passing of Jim Wilbur.

  September 7: President Steinmayer reflects on the life and impact of Jim Wilbur, director of the Threshold Program for 25 years.

  Welcoming the Lesley community this Fall.

  September 8: President Steinmayer celebrates the vibrant virtual academic and campus experience we've created for the fall semester.

• Communications from July/August 2020

  Fall Updates.

  August 21: President Steinmayer shares updates on the work conducted this summer, the revised calendar, limited access to campus,  and plans for the fall semester.

  Fall is coming.

  August 4: President Steinmayer sends a full update to what is happening at Lesley now, and what to expect this fall.

  Fall Plan Update.

  July 15: President Steinmayer shares the ongoing decisions surrounding how education will look at Lesley for the Fall 2020 semester.

  Response to Reversal of ICE order.

  July 14: Lesley's response to the reversal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) rule on students with F-1 visas needing to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this Fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

  Support for International Students.

  July 8: President Steinmayer shares Lesley's support for international students in the wake of the announcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that students studying on F-1 visas would no longer be allowed to remain in this country to continue their coursework online.

• Communications from June 2020

  Update on Inclusive Excellence.

  June 29: President Steinmayer and Associate Diversity Officer Martisa Barros share updates on Lesley's plans for Inclusive Excellence.

  Update on COVID-19 planning.

  June 22: President Steinmayer updates Lesley Faculty and Staff on moving forward through the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the university.

  Outline of our goal towards Inclusive Excellence.

  June 18: President Steinmayer and Associate Diversity Officer Maritsa Barros outline discussions and plans towards moving the community and university towards Inclusive Excellence.

  Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ+ protection.

  June 16: President Steinmayer's message regarding the Supreme Court's upholding of LGBTQ+ protection from employment discrimination.

  Juneteenth Announcement.

  June 15: President Steinmayer, Associate Diversity Officer Maritsa Barros, and the Board of Trustees announce Juneteenth as an official Lesley holiday.

  Updates on the Lesley experience in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

  June 12: President Steinmayer's message to families of current students regarding updates on the university's plans for the Fall 2020 semester. 

  June 12: President Steinmayer's message to students regarding updates on the university's plans for the Fall 2020 semester.

  June 12: President Steinmayer's message to the Threshold Program students families regarding updates on the university's plans for the Fall 2020 semester.

  Lesley updates.

  June 11: President Steinmayer updates faculty and staff on a variety of issues ranging from addressing racism, diversity and inclusion on campus, the search for interim provost, how learning this Fall may look like, and the development of different task forces across the university.

  Follow-up to George Floyd killing.

  June 4: President Steinmayer's follow up message addressing the George Floyd incident and Lesley's commitment to justice on campus, and beyond.

  Reaction to George Floyd killing.

  June 1: President Steinmayer responds to the killing of George Floyd, and the duty Lesley has to fighting injustice and discrimination wherever it exists.

• Communications from April/May 2020

  May updates.

  May 11: President Steinmayer provides updates on coronavirus, the search for an interim provost, and the departure of Chief Diversity Officer Lilu Barbosa

  Video message from President Steinmayer.

  May 11: President Steinmayer greets the Lesley community and gives praise to all those who have persevered through these challenging times.

  End of April coronavirus update.

  April 30: President Steinmayer gives an update on the coronavirus impact on the university and how the university is planning for the Fall 2020 semester.

  Staffing announcements.

  April 30: President Steinmayer welcomes new CMO Darryl Jelley and Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Mary-Jane McLaughlin.

  Coronavirus update to Lesley community.

  April 10: President Steinmayer gives an update on new developments in dealing with coronavirus, including how we're transitioning, next steps, and how we're reaching out to support those in need.

  April 10: President Steinmayer provides updates for students about room and board reimbursements, Commencement, and what's ahead.

  April 10: President Steinmayer alerts parents of Lesley students to the communication sent to their students.

• Communications from March 2020

  Coronavirus updates. 

  March 27: President Steinmayer updates faculty and staff on the university's plans for coronavirus.

  March 20: President Steinmayer updates students regarding planning for the coronavirus pandemic.

  March 20: President Steinmayer updates parents regarding planning for the coronavirus pandemic.

  March 20: President Steinmayer updates faculty and staff regarding planning for the coronavirus pandemic.

  Preparing for the Coronavirus pandemic.

  March 11: President Steinmayer discusses what the university is doing to prepare for the Coronavirus pandemic.

• Communications from January/February 2020

  February updates.

  February 4: President Steinmayer provides updates on strategic planning, financial goals, and other campus plans.

  January updates.

  January 7: President Steinmayer welcomes everyone back to campus, including Rebecca Capuano, our new Vice President of Enrollment Initiatives.

• Communications from Summer/Fall 2019

  A message to families.

  September 30: President Steinmayer welcomes families and kicks off the new academic year.

  Welcome to Lesley.

  September 25: President Steinmayer welcomes new and returning students to campus, and shares her excitement and plans for her first year as President.

  September update for faculty and staff.

  September 23: President Steinmayer gives Lesley faculty and staff an update on her first two months as head of the university.

  New Chief Financial Officer.

  August 8: President Steinmayer officially announces Tom Pistorino as the new Chief Financial Officer of Lesley.

  A message from our new president.

  July 11: Janet Steinmayer, Lesley's new president, greets the university community and shares some of her immediate plans and goals for her first year and beyond.

Speeches

• Commencement 2022 Morning Ceremony Speech

  Welcome & Congratulations

  On behalf of Hans Strauch and the entire Board of Trustees, I welcome you all to this year’s Commencement ceremony and extend a jubilant congratulations to:

  • our multi-talented graduates
  • their proud families and guests,
  • our dedicated faculty and professional staff,
  • our distinguished honorary degree recipient: Geeta Pradhan

  Congregants

  This morning, we are celebrating students earning doctoral and master’s degrees and certificates of advanced study from our Graduate School of Education and our Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences.

  In the afternoon, we will celebrate students earning master’s bachelor’s and associate’s degrees

  To the Class of 2022, what a day of celebration for all you have achieved in these momentous times!

  And to the alumni from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 who have returned today to cross the stage, how wonderful to have you back so we can celebrate your achievements in person!

  Class of 2022, I hope that sharing the spotlight with members from the two other classes from the 2020s more than triples the pride and warmth you will feel as you cross the stage today.

  Reflection on the Times

  So, as we begin the ceremony today, let us pause to remember the loved ones that the pandemic has taken from us — family members and friends who might otherwise have been here today — as well the victims of wars and violent hate crimes, most recently the mass shooting in Buffalo.

  *Pause*

  There is no doubt that at school graduations and commencements across the globe, speakers will observe that we are living through extraordinary times.

  The shock waves keep coming, and the demands on us to adapt and to be flexible and resilient keep mounting.

  To survive and to thrive under such conditions,

  • we must collaborate with even greater compassion, courage, and creativity;
  • we must redouble our efforts to collaborate across differences of culture and perspective;
  • we must expand and deepen the ways we connect with each other as individual humans living in community.

   

  And, above all, we must restore and embrace our most human connections.

  Lesley’s “Secret Sauce”

  Fostering these vital human connections — preparing our students to be practitioners in these arts — is what sets a Lesley education apart.

  The depth and breadth of these connections flavors the Lesley experience.

  Lesley’s “secret sauce” is blended in the myriad ways you have learned to collaborate across disciplines and differences to produce a richer and more satisfying “meal.”

  Whether your studies focused on education, psychology and counseling, social work, mindfulness, the expressive therapies, or some combination of these, you have learned the value of making and strengthening human connections. And you are ready to share this bountiful feast with your community.

  With national shortages of teachers, mental health counselors and social workers, and with our collective yearning for the expressive and healing powers of the arts, a Lesley education has never been more in demand or more satisfying to share.

  You are the first responders to our most fundamental human needs:

  • the need to be inspired by wise and caring teachers;
  • the need to be supported by skilled and empathic counselors;
  • the need to be moved and uplifted by creative expression.

   

  The future of our communities depends more than ever on the skills and perspectives you have developed during your time at Lesley.

  Our bruised and imperfect world is hungry for what you can, and will, bring to the table.

  Lifelong Support

  But we know that the essential work you each will do to feed your community is likely to be draining, and to leave you hungry, too.

  Practitioners in the critically needed and demanding fields that you’re entering will need a lifetime of learning and development, regular opportunities for renewal, and new sources of inspiration.

  Fortunately, opportunities to continue your education and to deepen your connection to Lesley will not end once you cross the stage today.

  As alumna-trustee Lynda-Lee Sheridan, a past president of the Alumni Association, will soon note, the value of your Lesley education will continue to grow as you make connections and discover inspiration from within our diverse network of over 90,000 talented alumni.

  Our focused commitment to growing community partnerships, like the one we are launching with Riverside Community Care, to open a behavioral health center on our Doble Campus, will create reciprocal links between the university and employers and enable our students and alumni to forge lasting and lifelong connections.

  Partnerships will provide students with accessible pathways to meaningful careers while helping employers train and recruit the skilled and caring professionals their communities need and create new avenues for research to share with future Lesley students.

  Whether you stay in one field or change occupations, as many people do over their working lives — we will build programs not only to launch you in your career, but to create a banquet that will sustain you through your entire professional arc.

  Finding Inspiration

  By now you have noticed the culinary language that is sprinkled through these remarks. So, I will end with a brief note about five chefs who were honored in 2014 with a United States stamp series: Joyce Chen, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, James Beard and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi.

  Each of them is now credited with revolutionizing American cuisine through their championship of using fresh, seasonal ingredients at a time when many women wanted to spend less time in the kitchen and were enthralled with the modern convenience of the compartmentalized frozen “TV Dinner”:

  Joyce Chen, a fellow Cantabridgean, for popularizing authentic Chinese cuisine.

  Julia Child, also famously from Cambridge, for bringing French cooking to the American kitchen

  Edna Lewis, as the grand dame of southern cooking.

  James Beard, for being the Dean of American cuisine based on his championing of native American ingredients.

  And Felipe Rojas-Lombardi, a founder of ground-breaking gourmet store Dean & Deluca, for master-minding South American cooking and bringing tapas to America.

  Yet each of them overcame fiercely-set cultural barriers to achieve what they did:

  Joyce Chen, as an emigree from Communist China and single mother.

  Julia Child as an unlikely female TV star with her mature age and unusual height.

  Edna Lewis, as the daughter of emancipated slaves and the first African American to use her own name, race and gender in publishing a cookbook.

  And James Beard and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi, in being gay at a time when it, for instance, was reason for Beard to be expelled from Reed College.

  But they succeeded, each of them. because they persisted, just like the Lesley motto: Perissem Ni Perstitissem (“I would have perished had I not persisted”).

  There is a poignant moment in a recent HBO series about Julia Child when her husband sums up what was making her TV show, “The French Chef” such an unexpected hit. He says, “You are teaching them how to taste life, and they are listening.”

  Call to Action

  So, as you close this chapter of your Lesley experience, these are my wishes for you:

  I wish that having learned from our wonderful faculty, staff and community to taste life, that you will continue to savor life in all its complex flavors.

  I wish that you will use your knowledge and zest for life to enhance and improve the lives of others.

  I wish that you will persist, as Julia did, to bring your vision to life.

  And I wish that you will make every day count.

  Great Day Closing

  As one of the speakers in this year’s Thought Leadership series, author and artist Ekua Holmes, said, quoting a character in one of her books, “Don’t wait to have a great day, create one.”

  I think we can all agree that today is a great day for the Lesley community.

  I hope we each will commit to making tomorrow a great day too, in whatever ways we can, for as many people as we can.

  Congratulations again to the Lesley Classes of 2022, 2021 and 2020!

  Graduates, I’ll see you shortly when you cross the stage.

• Commencement 2022 Afternoon Ceremony Speech

  Welcome & Congratulations

  On behalf of Hans Strauch and the entire Board of Trustees, I welcome you all to this year’s Commencement ceremony and extend a jubilant congratulations to:

  • our multi-talented graduates
  • their proud families and guests,
  • our dedicated faculty and professional staff, and
  • our distinguished honorary degree recipients: Shelly Lowe and Olivia Parker.

  Congregants

  This afternoon, we celebrate students earning master’s bachelor’s and associate’s degrees from our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and our College of Art and Design and our students earning certificates of completion from the Threshold Program.

  To the Class of 2022, what a day of celebration for all you have achieved in these momentous times!

  And to the alumni from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 who have returned today to cross the stage, how wonderful to have you back so we can celebrate your achievements in person!

  And as a mother of an alumnus of the Threshold Program, seeing our Threshold students cross the stage at Commencement for the very first time in the university’s history brings tears to my eyes each time I say that.

  Class of 2022, I hope that sharing the spotlight with members from the two other classes from the 2020s and Threshold more than triples the pride and warmth you will feel as you cross the stage today.

  Let’s give all the exceptional students that we will celebrate today a round of applause. Congratulations!

  Reflection on the Times

  So, as we begin the ceremony today, let us pause to remember the loved ones that the pandemic has taken from us — family members and friends who might otherwise have been here today — as well the victims of wars and violent hate crimes, most recently the mass shooting in Buffalo.

  *Pause*

  There is no doubt that at school graduations and commencements across the globe, speakers will observe that we are living through extraordinary times.

  The shock waves keep coming, and the demands on us to adapt and to be flexible and resilient keep mounting.

  To survive and to thrive under such conditions,

  • we must collaborate with even greater compassion, courage, and creativity;
  • we must redouble our efforts to collaborate across differences of culture and perspective; and
  • we must expand and deepen the ways we connect with each other as individual humans living in community.

   

  And, above all, we must restore and embrace our most human connections.

  Lesley’s “Secret Sauce”

  Fostering these vital human connections — preparing our students to be practitioners in these arts — is what sets a Lesley education apart.

  The depth and breadth of these connections flavors the Lesley experience.

  Lesley’s “secret sauce” is blended in the myriad ways you have learned to collaborate across disciplines and differences to produce a richer and more satisfying “meal.”

  Whether your studies focused on the liberal or visual arts, education, psychology, social work, creative writing, business, or some combination of these, you have learned the value of making and strengthening human connections. And you are ready to share this bountiful feast with your community.

  With national shortages of teachers, mental health counselors and social workers, and with our collective yearning for the expressive and healing powers of the arts, a Lesley education has never been more in demand or more satisfying to share.

  You are the first responders to our most fundamental human needs:

  • the need to be inspired by wise and caring teachers;
  • the need to be supported by skilled and empathic counselors;
  • the need to be moved and uplifted by creative expression.

   

  The future of our communities depends more than ever on the skills and perspectives you have developed during your time at Lesley.

  Our bruised and imperfect world is hungry for what you can, and will, bring to the table.

  Lifelong Support

  But we know that the essential work you each will do to feed your community is likely to be draining, and to leave you hungry, too.

  Practitioners in the critically needed and demanding fields that you’re entering will need a lifetime of learning and development, regular opportunities for renewal, and new sources of inspiration.

  Fortunately, opportunities to continue your education and to deepen your connection to Lesley will not end once you cross the stage today.

  As alumna-trustee Lynda-Lee Sheridan, a past president of the Alumni Association, will soon note, the value of your Lesley education will continue to grow as you make connections and discover inspiration from within our diverse network of over 90,000 talented alumni.

  Our focused commitment to growing community partnerships, like the one we are launching with Riverside Community Care, to open a behavioral health center on our Doble Campus, will create reciprocal links between the university and employers and enable our students and alumni to forge lasting and lifelong connections.

  Partnerships will provide students with accessible pathways to meaningful careers while helping employers train and recruit the skilled and caring professionals their communities need and create new avenues for research to share with future Lesley students.

  Whether you stay in one field or change occupations, as many people do over their working lives — we will build programs not only to launch you in your career, but to create a banquet that will sustain you through your entire professional arc.

  Finding Inspiration

  By now you have noticed the culinary language that is sprinkled through these remarks. So, I will end with a brief note about five chefs who were honored in 2014 with a United States stamp series: Joyce Chen, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, James Beard and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi.

  Each of them is now credited with revolutionizing American cuisine through their championship of using fresh, seasonal ingredients at a time when many women wanted to spend less time in the kitchen and were enthralled with the modern convenience of the compartmentalized frozen “TV Dinner”:

  Joyce Chen, a fellow Cantabridgean, for popularizing authentic Chinese cuisine.

  Julia Child, also famously from Cambridge, for bringing French cooking to the American kitchen.

  Edna Lewis, as the grand dame of southern cooking.

  James Beard, for being the Dean of American cuisine based on his championing of native American ingredients.

  And Felipe Rojas-Lombardi, a founder of ground-breaking gourmet store Dean & Deluca, for master-minding South American cooking and bringing tapas to America.

  Yet each of them overcame fiercely-set cultural barriers to achieve what they did:

  Joyce Chen, as an emigree from Communist China and single mother.

  Julia Child as an unlikely female TV star with her mature age and unusual height.

  Edna Lewis, as the daughter of emancipated slaves and the first African American to use her own name, race and gender in publishing a cookbook.

  And James Beard and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi, in being gay at a time when it, for instance, was reason for Beard to be expelled from Reed College.

  But they succeeded, each of them. because they persisted, just like the Lesley motto: Perissem Ni Perstitissem (“I would have perished had I not persisted”).

  There is a poignant moment in a recent HBO series about Julia Child when her husband sums up what was making her TV show, “The French Chef” such an unexpected hit. He says, “You are teaching them how to taste life, and they are listening.”

  Call to Action

  So, as you close this chapter of your Lesley experience, these are my wishes for you:

  I wish that having learned from our wonderful faculty, staff and community to taste life, that you will continue to savor life in all its complex flavors.

  I wish that you will use your knowledge and zest for life to enhance and improve the lives of others.

  I wish that you will persist, as Julia did, to bring your vision to life.

  And I wish that you will make every day count.

  Great Day Closing

  As one of the speakers in this year’s Thought Leadership series, author and artist Ekua Holmes, said, quoting a character in one of her books, “Don’t wait to have a great day, create one.”

  I think we can all agree that today is a great day for the Lesley community.

  I hope we each will commit to making tomorrow a great day too, in whatever ways we can, for as many people as we can.

  Congratulations again to the Lesley Classes of 2022, 2021 and 2020!

  Graduates, I’ll see you shortly when you cross the stage.