Each month, President Alecia A. DeCoudreaux answers questions submitted to Ask Alecia by alumnae and friends of Mills College. Below are the answers published in previous months.
Q
Has retention been affected by having all freshwomen in the same hall?
—Cathy Henley-Erickson ’62
A You must have heard about our Living Learning Communities for first-year students—the short answer is that they've proved very effective in keeping students enrolled at Mills!
Here's a little background for readers who may not already know about the Living Learning Communities (or LLCs, as we call them): An LLC is a cluster of 10 to 20 first-year students housed together in a residence hall on campus. All members of an LLC share one common interest or are enrolled together in one introductory course. For example, one of our LLCs this year is made up of women interested in sustainability and local food. Another is made up of women enrolled in Introduction to Philosophy. Each LLC has a faculty advisor who organizes activities related to the LLC theme.
This year, we have 14 LLCs, of which 10 are located in Warren Olney Hall (in fact, Warren Olney is fully dedicated to LLCs now) and four in Orchard Meadow Hall. Every resident first-year student is a member of one of these LLCs; commuters are also encouraged to participate in LLC activities. You may read descriptions of each LLC on the Mills website.
LLCs were first piloted at Mills in 2005 with a few groups of first-year students. They were introduced, in large part, to improve retention rates—that is, the percentage of first-year students who return to Mills for a second year of study. The College found that 81 percent of the women who participated in LLCs continued on to their second year, while only 62 percent of those who had not participated were retained.
As a result, Mills made LLCs an integral part of the first-year experience. Retention rose from 71 percent in 2005 to 81 percent four years later—much closer to the average retention rate of 84 percent at Mills' peer colleges.
Beyond the statistics, LLCs have become one of the most important ways students form bonds with each other and with faculty. LLCs encourage deep exploration of issues students feel passionately about. One woman described her experience with her LLC friends this way: "We all share something in common and I love that. I laugh, I cry, I study with these women. We balance each other."
These deep, lasting bonds between women in the same cohort are key ingredients for a successful retention strategy. However, that doesn't mean an LLC defines a first-year student's experience at Mills. Through various courses, athletics, student clubs, and a range of other activities, she benefits from interactions with many others in Mills' famously diverse student body. These include upperclass students and sometimes graduate students, resumers and transfer students, and women and men whose interests and backgrounds are very different than her own. While an LLC allows her to delve deep into a subject area with close friends, the rest of her Mills experience broadens her curiosity about and engagement with the world.
QWhy wasn't the cut to the track and field team and the track and field coach position mentioned among the College's budget cuts? — Laura Davis '06
ALast fall, I announced a number of immediate budget cuts that would begin to reduce the College's deficit in the current fiscal year, which runs from June 2011 through July 2012. The track and field team was not affected by those immediate cuts: Mills has continued to fund the 17-member team and its coach throughout the spring season.
The College will not be able to fund track and field this coming fall, however. As part of our strategy to achieve structural, long-term savings across campus while protecting academic programs, we needed to eliminate one out of the seven intercollegiate sports currently active at Mills. We considered several factors in making our choice, including National Collegiate Athletic Association rules about the types of sports we must offer. Another factor was the lack of track and field facilities on campus, which meant that to support the team, Mills had to rent these facilities from other institutions and transport the team off-campus for practice.
QIf you were an incoming student at Mills, what would be your choice of courses?
—Mary Bianco ’14
A Thanks very much for this question, as it caused me to reflect on the wonderful experiences I had last semester visiting classes and to take another look at our course offerings. It also caused me to think about how exciting it would be to take classes just for the fun of learning and exploring. Since I am a planner by nature, I suspect that even as an incoming student I would plot out the courses I'd take over a couple of years. I would also build flexibility into my plans so that I'd have room to follow my passion. This is, in fact, how I approached my own college experience: I entered college planning to major in political science, as I thought doing so would be good preparation for law school. I ended up double majoring in political science and English because I took so many English courses for the pure enjoyment of reading, analyzing, and discussing literature. If I were a student today, I'd start with the following list of courses:
QMy question is related to the salaries advertised for the Student Life positions. In short, why are they so astonishingly low? I have had wonderful colleagues who would like to work at Mills call me to see if I know why and I am saddened as an alumna. This makes a strong negative statement about how Mills values employees. I would advocate for fewer positions and a more finite scope of operations, with wages well above federal poverty guidelines. —Nicola Place ’95
A I assure you that I greatly appreciate our employees, both faculty and staff. We know Mills achieves much more than our size would suggest because of their outstanding dedication.
We are confident that the salaries we pay Mills employees are competitive with those at peer colleges of similar size and with similar endowments. Prior to recruiting any position, we conduct a salary comparison with these peers, using data provided by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. Of course, it's not the salaries alone that job seekers consider in their choice to work at Mills: the College's beautiful campus and facilities, community spirit, and educational mission play a role as well.
I believe your question refers, in particular, to four new student life coordinator positions that we filled this summer. These positions were created as part of an organizational restructuring in the Division of Student Life. Previously, we had a relatively high number of mid-level managers but very few employees whose job it was to provide hands-on service to students, such as staffing events for students on weekends and evenings. We relied, instead, on part-time student workers to fill key service roles. This semester, our new student life coordinators are responsible for providing direct services, which allows for greater continuity and stability. These positions were originally created with the assumption that the coordinators would work full-time for only 10 months of the year, when students are on campus. But after piloting the positions this summer, we realized that the coordinators are needed 11 months of the year. So we've increased their salaries to $31,000 for that longer period of work; this salary is comparable to that of similar entry-level professional positions at other institutions.
These coordinators play a key role in our effort to improve student services while recognizing the constraints faced by the College's budget. We are also conducting a search for a new vice president for student life and dean of students—we'll have more news on the results of this search soon!
QAs a resident on campus, you have access to the beauty of Mills year-round. What spots on campus do you most enjoy spending time in? —Michelle Balovich ’03
A This may be the most difficult question I have been asked thus far as I enjoy so many places on campus, starting with the President's House. I love to entertain, and the President's House and garden are ideal for entertaining both large and small groups, including my family. During the winter months, we especially enjoyed lighting a fire in the library and sitting close by while engaging in lively conversations and the occasional jigsaw puzzle. I have even been able to steal away to the library once or twice to read a culinary mystery or to catch up on email. When it's warm, we sit on the back patio and enjoy the gorgeous trees surrounding the garden and the lovely flowers planted by the fountain. Just outside the side door by which I leave and come home each day is an exquisite brugmansia tree, also called Gabriel's trumpet. Throughout the year, it produces the most beautiful yellow flowers, which are most fragrant in the evening. When I arrive home in the evenings, it's very nice to be greeted by the scent of Gabriel's trumpet.
When I walk in the mornings, especially when I am making a special effort to work on my glutes, I take a left out of the driveway and go past the art museum, the door to which is always a treasure to look at. I sometimes take a detour behind the museum to walk through the pergola and across to the narrow dirt lane next to the art studios, flanked by two rows of trees that remind me of the approach to a villa in Italy or France. I continue on behind Reinhardt Alumnae House to take a peek at the lawn there. Then I walk up the hill to Founders Commons and head over toward Corporation Yard where I enjoy seeing the large cacti and the garden of tomatoes and other vegetables. Next I hike up the hill past Mary Morse Hall and stop under the huge trees at the top to enjoy the beautiful view over toward San Francisco Bay, whether on a foggy or clear day. Finally, I meander around to the Greek Theatre behind the Music Building and imagine it as it was when Commencement was held there. I fantasize about holding activities in the theatre once again. My route takes me back to the President's House, where I'm greeted by a beautiful row of roses. I am currently training for a mini-marathon, so I generally finish as fast as I can. Thinking about the question you raised, I took time this morning to make frequent stops to truly enjoy the sights. I even stopped to smell the roses. Thank you!
| Follow President DeCoudreaux's footsteps in photos from across campus via our online photo album. |
| |
 |
QDean Merrill-Sands is dedicated to sustaining a quality MBA Program at Mills' Lokey Graduate School of Business. We MBA students are earnest and successful in making a mark for Mills in the business world as socially responsible people. Are you providing the strongest support possible for this Mills MBA ambition? If so, will you continue this support for the foreseeable future? —Alisa Rodriguez ’11
A I am very proud of all that Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands has accomplished in the past two years to build on the strengths of our Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business. I'm also proud of the achievements of our MBA students. With help from the dean and faculty, they have been winning scholarships and grants from such prestigious funders as the American Association of University Women, receiving accolades from Net Impact for organizing educational activities on social responsibility in business, and participating in the Hult Global Case Challenge to develop solutions to poverty.
One particularly significant way that Mills is investing for the long term in the Lokey Graduate School of Business is by adding faculty. Previously, all MBA faculty were either based in our outstanding Economics Department or were visiting professors and lecturers. This spring, we hired the first-ever tenure-track professors specifically for the Business School. These two faculty—Assistant Professor of Marketing Ekatrina Karniouchina and Assistant Professor of Operations Carol Theokary—will start teaching this fall.
A very different way the College will support the Business School is by celebrating its 10th anniversary at Reunion 2012 on September 29. We invite all MBA students and alumnae—and anyone curious about the program—to come and join us.
QDid you know when you became president that the College had significant financial problems? What is your analysis of the cause(s) of these significant financial problems?—Margaret Goldsmith Fawcett ’63
A I became aware that Mills College faced some financial strain when I was a candidate for the position of president in the fall of 2010. The Presidential Search Committee, led by Trustee Wendy Brody '68, shared budget reports with me and briefed me on fiscal concerns, such as the effect of the recession on the Mills' endowment and the College's high tuition discount rate (the amount of financial aid Mills awards to students in relation to tuition revenue). I understood that my job would involve developing solutions for the College's financial problems, and I welcomed this challenge.
When I arrived at Mills and began working with my cabinet to analyze the budget in detail, I realized how complex and interrelated these financial problems are. Like other colleges, Mills saw the value of its endowment decline in 2008, and it has not yet fully rebounded. In June 2007, the endowment was worth $233 million; when I began as president here one year ago, it was worth $183.4 million.
This decline in endowment value had a domino effect. It led to a significant decrease in the amount of income we receive from the endowment—income that used to cover as much as 20 percent of the College's operating budget. Less endowment income meant that Mills had less scholarship funding to offer prospective students. Fewer and smaller scholarship offers meant that fewer students matriculated in fall 2011. And with fewer students, Mills also received less tuition and room and board revenue. The decline in student revenues contributed $3.5 million to the budget shortfall in the 2011–12 fiscal year.
As I reported in email messages to alumnae last November and December, the College is pursuing several strategies for reducing the deficit, increasing enrollment, and becoming more sustainable in the long run. One strategy we have implemented is to reduce our expenses wherever possible without compromising academic excellence or the financial support we offer students. We have achieved this through temporary salary reductions and furloughs and by eliminating administrative positions. Another strategy is to boost enrollment. We are dedicating as much of our budget as possible to scholarships, and we are conducting a search for a vice president of enrollment management—a new position at Mills—who will help to reinvigorate our recruitment efforts and develop a strategic enrollment plan.
A third key strategy is to engage as many alumnae and friends as possible in supporting the College financially. Gifts to the Mills College Annual Fund and to student scholarships play a particularly important role in restoring the College to financial health. I am thankful for the many donors who have given to Mills this year. Although our fiscal year does not close until June 30, we have already raised as much as we did in all of fiscal year 2010–11. There is still time for you to help change Mills' financial picture this year by making a gift online!
QWill you please reinstate the theater arts department? — Shelley Fernandez '55
AYours is a question I've heard from a number of alumnae I've met in the past few months! The Dramatic Arts Department, which was closed in 2004 because of the budget deficit the College faced at that time, clearly holds a very special place in the hearts of generations of Mills graduates.
Many in the Mills campus community, myself included, share your belief in the importance of theater for the liberal arts curriculum. Because an understanding of theater is essential in dance performance, our acclaimed Dance Department has begun offering an acting fundamentals class taught by the casting director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Amy Potozkin. The class is open to Mills students of any major. In addition, the Dance Department teaches courses in costume design and dance theater.
Although we are reintroducing drama through the dance curriculum, the College is not currently in the financial position to invest in rebuilding a drama department. Among other challenges, Mills lacks a theater facility that could support a well-rounded, state-of-the-art theater program. Lisser Hall, which opened in 1901, is full of character and history—but badly needs renovation. This is a situation in which a very generous donor could make a big difference for the College!
QWhy wasn't the cut to the track and field team and the track and field coach position mentioned among the College's budget cuts? — Laura Davis '06
ALast fall, I announced a number of immediate budget cuts that would begin to reduce the College's deficit in the current fiscal year, which runs from June 2011 through July 2012. The track and field team was not affected by those immediate cuts: Mills has continued to fund the 17-member team and its coach throughout the spring season.
The College will not be able to fund track and field this coming fall, however. As part of our strategy to achieve structural, long-term savings across campus while protecting academic programs, we needed to eliminate one out of the seven intercollegiate sports currently active at Mills. We considered several factors in making our choice, including National Collegiate Athletic Association rules about the types of sports we must offer. Another factor was the lack of track and field facilities on campus, which meant that to support the team, Mills had to rent these facilities from other institutions and transport the team off-campus for practice.
QAll of the leading Republican candidates are in favor of a "personhood" amendment. What would you, as the leader of a women's college, like to say to them? —Kristen Caven ’88
A I would advise candidates of any political affiliation—just as I would advise Mills students—that it's important to listen to all sides of an issue. This is especially true when the issue is as complex as the definition of personhood, with profound medical, legal, and ethical implications. I would advise them to respect the diversity of opinions they hear and to pay particular attention to the voices of women, whose rights and lives would be gravely affected by personhood amendments.
I am impressed with the way that women across the political spectrum have mobilized to make their voices heard in this national debate, often taking political leaders by surprise. For example, in Mississippi last November, the state's two male gubernatorial candidates—a Democrat and a Republican—both declared support for a ballot initiative that would have defined a fertilized human egg as a person. Pollsters thought this personhood amendment was likely to pass. Meanwhile, women on both sides of the debate kept it real by bravely sharing very personal stories, via mass media and social media, about how the amendment would affect them. In the end, 58 percent of the state's voters, including unexpectedly large numbers of Republican as well as Democratic women, voted against it. Any politician who aims to speak for United States citizens would be well advised to pay attention to women who vote!
QWhy aren't there any change machines in the laundry areas of the dorms? I have not found any throughout the entire campus. I find myself saving quarters and mailing them to my daughter to help out. — Jacquie Leferink
AI have heard that for years, students have made do by making change for laundry at our cashier's office, the bookstore, and the Tea Shop. But I agree this is not a particularly convenient arrangement for our students, who are likely to take care of this chore while studying late at night.
Beginning in the fall of this year, students in residence halls will not need any coins to do their laundry. Instead, their housing fees will cover the costs of washer and dryer use, and students can do all the laundry they want at no additional cost. I expect to see a lot of clean clothes around campus next semester—washed, I hope, with an environmentally friendly, phosphate-free detergent!
Q When financial problems became an issue numerous years ago, a plan to become a coed college was presented. Is this a possibility now? — Sarah Rankin ’62
A I am pleased to be able to tell you that the Board of Trustees and I are absolutely committed to Mills’ remaining an undergraduate college for women. When I was first being considered for the presidency, I asked trustees about their commitment to Mills as a women’s institution. Had they not emphatically reaffirmed this commitment, I would never have come to Mills as president.
The trustees and I are equally dedicated to the continued excellence of our graduate programs, where about 80 percent of the students are women. Enrollment in these programs has more than doubled since the Strike of 1990, strengthening the College both academically and financially.
The steps we began taking in fall 2011 to address the College’s budget deficit are designed, in large part, to ensure Mills’ future as one of the nation’s most esteemed women’s colleges, with graduate programs for women and men. I am confident that with the support of alumnae like you, we will succeed!
Q The Mills community hungers for honest communications from its leadership. My experience in higher education over 25 years suggests that transparency in explaining the considerations underlying administrative decision-making goes far in building understanding, trust, and cooperation among stake-holders. Now that you have frankly disclosed the fiscal difficulties facing the College and reasons for the initial steps toward closing the deficit, what are your plans for continuing to strengthen information-sharing among alumnae, faculty, staff, and students? — Sharon Page-Medrich ’05
A One of my top priorities is to keep channels open for two-way communication with alumnae, donors, parents, and the campus community. Since my inauguration in September, I’ve been attending events with Mills alumnae and friends across the country, and at each reception I leave time for discussion. I expect to continue to respond to questions in this way throughout my presidency. This “Ask Alecia” column is another way for me to hear and respond to concerns about key decisions at Mills. I will also continue to share information through the (e)ucalyptus enewsletter, email messages, and the Mills Quarterly.
Since October, I’ve been convening meetings with the campus community—students, faculty, and staff—to discuss the College’s plan for eliminating our budget deficit. I’m proud of the work my Cabinet has done to provide detailed information about our plans at these meetings and through email, and we will continue to do so whenever important issues arise. I’m also thankful to the student newspaper, the Campanil, for publishing a letter from me to students in December, in which I responded to concerns—and some misinformation—about staff lay-offs.
Transparency, however, is not simply a matter of broadcasting information. As I’ve told our students, I want to build a shared understanding in the Mills community of the meaning of “transparency;” of the roles of administrators, trustees, faculty, students, alumnae, and others in decision-making processes; and of how information should be shared organizationally to strengthen trust and mutual respect.
Q At the end of November, Mills laid off three employees who provide key student services: the director of career services, the director of services for students with disabilities, and the director of social justice initiatives. At a college like Mills, these seem like essential services. How will you maintain the quality of the Mills student experience without these staff positions? — Lynda Campfield ’00, MA ’02
A The greatest threats today to the quality of the Mills experience are the increasingly serious budget deficits the College has faced in recent years and the revenue shortfalls we foresee for the next few years. To ensure that the College will have the resources in the long term to offer the highly interactive, innovative, supportive education for which Mills is known, we had to make structural changes that would reduce our annual budget.
After careful review of our options, we eliminated 15 administrative positions on November 30. These were extremely painful decisions for me and my colleagues. Though most of the eliminated positions were vacant, we had to lay off six employees, including the three whom you mentioned. We have not eliminated any academic positions, which represent the core of Mills’ mission, and we remain committed to meeting students’ needs for career services, disability services and accommodations, and diversity and social justice programs. Responsibility for these services is being assigned to other staff who are highly capable and devoted to providing students with an outstanding experience. These staff can fully focus on their new responsibilities because other work has been completed, reprioritized, or reassigned to colleagues.
For more information on the layoffs and our plans for the affected student services, please see the email I sent to alumnae and donors on December 7.
Q I am hearing from students and faculty that the decisions to furlough faculty (which in reality is a pay cut) and to fire non-teaching staff were decisions made without input from faculty. As a 40-year college professor, with over 15 years in college administration, I find this deeply troubling if it is true. Please clarify and let us know how you are reaching the difficult financial decisions you are making and what role faculty have in those decisions. — Julie Olsen Edwards ’60
AOur plan to address Mills’ budget deficit was developed in consultation with the new campus-wide budget committee, which includes three faculty: two members of our Faculty Executive Committee as well as the dean of the School of Education. Provost and Dean of Faculty Sandra C. Greer—who is also a member of the faculty—played a major role in developing the plan as a member of my cabinet. Although the plan was not the subject of general faculty discussion, it was subjected to rigorous examination and to reshaping in conversation with the faculty representatives and other members of the budget committee. The faculty salary reductions and staff furloughs were then announced to the campus community at the end of October and to alumnae through an email on November 8. We did not involve faculty in identifying which staff positions would be eliminated, since such deliberations must be kept highly confidential and are best made by the vice presidents and administrative deans who are most familiar with the work that their staff do.
Q Are there any plans to return Mills to being primarily a residential college? — Rena Denham '77
A Mills remains primarily a residential college at the undergraduate level: 55 percent of our undergraduate students live on campus. We encourage students to live on campus by providing a range of accommodations, including traditional residence halls, apartments for students who wish to live independently, and even a co-op living option in Larson House. However, one of Mills’ greatest strengths today is the diversity of our students. In particular, our community is enriched by the presence of resumer women who have arrived at college after holding careers and raising families. Living on campus is not a viable option for many of them. So at the same time that we deeply value Mills’ identity as a residential college and encourage on-campus living, our diversity means that some portion of our student body will prefer to live off campus.
Q Thank you for this transparency and fantastic utilization of technology! I was wondering how you will select the questions that you answer?
— Nicholas Weinstein '09
A I’m delighted that our alumnae and friends have come forward with such a wide range of questions for me! I’m first choosing questions that give me an opportunity to address hot topics, such as Mills’ budget deficit; questions that I’m frequently asked; and questions about areas that I, as a new president, understand well enough to answer with an informed response. Yours is one of them!
Q Will you encourage any new areas of study to further prepare Mills students to thrive in today's world? — Diane Mark '72
A I am using my first year as president to understand better Mills’ strengths and opportunities in consultation with faculty, students, alumnae, donors, and others around the country. Thus far, I am pleased to have learned that Mills has very strong science and math programs—in addition to its long-standing strengths in arts and letters—and that the College is adding Chinese to its language program. I believe that science and language skills are particularly important in preparing students today for a world that is shaped by rapidly evolving technologies and global interconnections.
Q What is your favorite tool? — Megan Brian '06
A Gourmet magazine! I started reading the magazine in 1976 and have every issue published since then. I cannot think of a dinner party I’ve planned without Gourmet nor a vacation I’ve taken without its travel guidance and restaurant recommendations. Gourmet is no longer published as a magazine (it still exists as a website), but I still use my old magazines to plan dinner and other parties. I have to use another favorite tool to help me while traveling to other cities and searching for good restaurants—laughter. It helps tremendously when my expectations are not met.
Q I am wondering if there are still plans for the organic garden gift my Class of 2010 proposed? — Kim DiGiacomo '10
A I am very grateful to the alumnae of the Class of 2010 for their thoughtful senior gift to the College, which we will use to establish an organic campus farm. Mills’ Sustainability Committee has made the farm a priority for this year and is currently engaged in careful planning so that we have the most sustainable, productive farm possible. The first steps have already been taken to select a site near the front entry gate, test the soil quality, and determine required amendments. We are now seeking additional funding for the project as well as volunteer support from members of the Mills community. If you’re interested in helping, contact Christina McWhorter at cmcwhort@mills.edu. I am personally looking forward to breaking ground, getting the farm started, and sharing progress updates as we move ahead.
Q I've been surprised that the various ways that Mills communicates with alumnae have not mentioned the $3.5 million deficit facing the campus this year and that College has chosen to use faculty and staff furloughs to save money. Could you please speak to the causes of the current shortfall and the College's financial picture going forward? — Sarah Lehman '86
A This is one of the most critical issues I am addressing this year. On November 8, I emailed a message to our alumnae and donors with a summary of the causes of this shortfall and of the steps we’ve begun to take to address it; the message has also been posted on this website and will appear in the December issue of the Mills Quarterly. We are currently finalizing the details of our plan to eliminate the deficit and expect that we will have more news to share with alumnae by email this winter.