The College will do well following the trajectory that President Wright set it on, at least for the foreseeable future, so you can keep his policies for now.
Dartmouth, as an institution, is strong because of the people that love it so much. There's no one specific group that contributes the most to this.
Students, alumni, faculty, staff we all make Dartmouth special. And we are specifically the people you need to get to know as you begin your new term, President Kim.
President Wright did a tremendous job getting to know the students. From lunches with undergrads in his office, to attending student performances, to walking home along Webster Avenue, a huge portion of his time was spent getting to know the people for whom he made decisions. But Wright was here for 40 years and he still didn't know all of us. President Kim, you will need to try twice as hard for half the results in this respect.
Reach out to us in other proactive ways. Instead of asking for students to volunteer to meet with you, seek us out. I've heard that you plan on eating some meals in the campus dining halls. I salute this decision. This is exactly the type of action you'll need to take to truly understand Dartmouth as students do.
Knowing what we experience as students will help you be the best president you can and dining halls are a great place to start. I recommend Billy Bobs as an introduction to Dartmouth Dining Services but there's more that can be done besides that.
Reach out to fraternities and sororities. The Greek system and the administration have historically been at odds, but there's no hard and fast rule that says that it has to be this way. Visit Greek houses and find out what they're really about. Maybe you could even play a game of pong. It's fun, I swear. That's why we do it. Just don't beat us too badly.
Learn all about all the things we do outside the classroom. Go to performances of a cappella groups and theater troupes. Talk to student employees. Watch our athletic teams compete. Maybe even meet with the writers and editors of campus publications.
Finally, get to know Dartmouth academically. While it is helpful to meet with department chairs and distinguished professors, it would be great to see the real arena of the Dartmouth education: the classroom.
Sit in on some classes in different departments. Maybe even audit one. By exposing yourself to first-hand knowledge of classroom quality and inefficiencies, this would help you make critical decisions about academic and departmental policies in the years to come. And while you're certainly much better-educated than any of us undergraduates, there are always more things to learn. You do, after all, now live at a school.
We understand that you're going to be very busy, especially during your first months in office. You have to start a new job, move into a new home, not to mention raise a newborn son. Not an easy task.
But take the time, once you've gotten properly settled, to reach out.
We're worth it.
