From the WCAA President

Portrait of Georgia Murphy Johnson ’75, president of WCAA

Photo by Richard Howard
 

Dear Wellesley College Alumnae:

President Paula Johnson has stated that one of the goals for her presidency is to create a culture of “inclusive excellence” for all Wellesley students. Inspired by this and by the classes of ’67 and ’77, who made discussion of race a key part of their reunion last summer, the WCAA is asking: “What does inclusive excellence look like for Wellesley alumnae?” In other words, what can we do as an association to better connect alumnae who may not feel that Wellesley is a touchstone of their lives?

Prior to Alumnae Leadership Council in October, the WCAA Board and staff hosted a conversation about diversity and inclusion with alumnae leaders from around the world. We examined ways to enhance current programming and improve our communications to connect alumnae who may not have felt compelled to be really engaged with Wellesley. Led by Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Robbin Chapman, our conversation was honest, insightful, and productive.

Since that meeting, the group has reconvened for a conference call and created a small leadership team composed of alumnae, students, and staff, called the Inclusion and Diversity Engaging Alumnae (IDEA) Working Group. Their charge is to identify ways to stimulate engagement among un- or under-engaged alumnae, thus better fulfilling WCAA’s mission by increasing broad-based alumnae engagement with Wellesley.

Laura Daignault Gates ’72, former WCAA board president and now chair of the Board of Trustees, is fond of saying, “At other schools, they go to college for four years, but at Wellesley, it’s for life.” Our job at the Alumnae Association is to ensure that the work we do convinces you, as alumnae, to be a part of Wellesley’s famous network; that, although we all see the world through different prisms and face different circumstances and life stages, Wellesley continues to provide a common bond.

Georgia Murphy Johnson ’75, president

You Might Like
  • Portrait of Susan Lohin
    Susan Lohin, who retired from the WCAA in December, helped struggling clubs find new officers, drove visiting faculty lecturers to far-flung alumnae events, and oversaw the Wellesley book award program. She once even rode a camel alongside Kathryn Wasserman Davis ’28 on a Wellesley trip to Egypt.More
  • Wellesley logo
    The WCAA honored three alumnae with its annual Sed Ministrare Volunteer Award, which celebrates significant or innovative volunteer service: Susan Harmon ’67, Lisa Torreano ’90, and Erin Flannery Keith ’05.More
  • Welcome Back!
    The Wellesley College Alumnae Association invites you back to campus June 8–10. Come reconnect and recharge. Take a tour of the newly renovated Pendleton West, stop by the Davis Museum, and attend faculty lectures. And...More

Post a CommentView Full Policy

We ask that those who engage in Wellesley magazine's online community act with honesty, integrity, and respect. (Remember the honor code, alums?) We reserve the right to remove comments by impersonators or comments that are not civil and relevant to the subject at hand. By posting here, you are permitting Wellesley magazine to edit and republish your comment in all media. Please remember that all posts are public.

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.