Dear Knox Community,

As I look back upon the year, one phrase comes to mind . . . Knox on the move.

Three years ago, our Board of Trustees invested in an ambitious five-year strategy that sought to increase demand for a Knox education, make key investments in our campus and community, and lean into our distinctive programs. Thanks to the Board’s support, and in conjunction with our senior team, faculty, and staff, we are seeing key elements of our plan come to fruition.

Thanks to strategic investments supported by the Board, we were able to launch new institutional branding, hire the nation’s leading enrollment consulting firm, and double down on scholarships and aid. These investments and the commitment of our staff and faculty across the College to buck the trend of declining enrollment have led to the recruitment of one of Knox’s largest expected classes in decades for fall 2024. Work continues over the summer to ready the campus for our new and returning students, and we look forward to welcoming students back in the fall to many campus updates. In addition to breaking ground in May on new facilities at Green Oaks, we are investing roughly $20 million, including support from gifts and grants, in campus renovation, accessibility upgrades, and renewal projects across campus, including the Eleanor Abbott Ford Center for the Fine Arts, George Davis Hall, Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center, and several residence halls.

We have also made significant investments in our campus and community, specifically in our faculty and academic program. As we announced earlier this spring, Trustee Dan ’99 and Liz Holmes Spaulding ’99 made a gift of $1 million to the Knox Fund in support of our exceptional faculty. Chair of the Board Tony Etz ’83 and Nancy Etz established the recently announced Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership and Dialogue. Plans are well underway to launch the institute this fall thanks to the work of the institute’s faculty co-directors, Konrad Hamilton, history, and Thomas Bell, political science.

Finally, leaning into our distinctive academic programs, summer immersive experiences are continuing this summer, and the 10-week Japan Term will return in the fall. Additionally, Trustee James “Bud” ’63 and Mary Jo Potter ’62 committed $1.25 million to the Potter-Carre Experience Endowment Fund to support students who explore experiential opportunities in public health, education, and social justice, among other areas. You can read more about immersive experiences and the Potter-Carre fund in the following pages.

Our progress today is a direct reflection of the Board of Trustees’ confidence in Knox’s academic program, faculty, staff, and administration, and their willingness to invest for our future. And the most exciting thing . . . we have more good news on the horizon. Be on the lookout for additional community updates on our strategic priorities in the weeks and months ahead.

With warmest regards,