Progress toward a bold future

When I began my presidency, I did so with the commitment to make Eastern one of the best public liberal arts institutions in the country, and each year, we have moved closer to that goal. We reached an especially validating milestone this fall when U.S. News & World Report placed Eastern among the top 20 public institutions in the publication’s North Region, an area that spans 11 states and Washington, D.C. and includes 168 public and private institutions.

More of our incoming students graduated in the top 25% of their high school classes than at any other time in our history, and the percentage of first-year students who returned for their second year has never been higher — a retention rate of 83%. Our student population is also the most diverse in Eastern’s history, representing 160 Connecticut towns and hailing from 31 different states and eight countries, including Peru, Kenya and Norway. Our student body is comprised of 28% students of color, and of those who enrolled at Eastern in the fall of 2021, nine out of 10 have returned for their second year.

Our faculty have redefined the learning outcomes for our courses, which will focus on critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, creativity and quantitative literacy. It’s no accident that these learning outcomes mirror the skills that employers say they want most when hiring. But redefining learning outcomes is simply not enough. It’s imperative that our coursework relates to the most pressing issues of our time and that pose the greatest threat to our existence as a nation: achieving social equity, protecting American democracy from authoritarianism, and meeting the challenges brought on by our changing climate.

Our students expect us to face these challenges, and to provide them with the skills they need to find the solutions that have eluded prior generations. We cannot, and will not, let them down.

The people profiled in this issue of Eastern Magazine are all making a difference, such as Aniko Szabo ’05 who helps refugees begin new lives in the United States, and Maryam Khan ’14, the first Muslim elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives. We remember a trio of emeriti faculty who touched the lives of countless students, and we celebrate our student athletes in softball, who appeared in the NCAA national championship tournament in two of the last three seasons, and in baseball, who won their fifth NCAA national championship!

Eastern thrives, in part, thanks to the philanthropic support of friends such as David and Marilyn Foster, the late Theresa James ’49 and her daughter, and hundreds of alumni and friends. Each gift is an investment in the future of our students and in the mission of Eastern. To each of our donors, thank you for your confidence and trust!

Elsa M. Núñez