A Message from the President

Welcome to Albion College!

Please join us on November 12 for Albion Spirit Day 2011. Once on campus, I think you'll quickly notice an energy and excitement we've been feeling throughout this fall semester.

New facilities always generate buzz, and this fall the campus community has been delighted with the improvements to the main floor of Stockwell Library. You may notice the first change before you walk in: After 30 years, Stockwell once again serves as the library entrance, having been moved from the adjacent Mudd building. Inside, the main floor has been transformed into Cutler Commons, a multifaceted and flexible learning space that features the latest technology, student-chosen furniture, and our new café, Read Between the Grinds, which offers coffee and pastries from Zingerman's of Ann Arbor. Students and faculty are taking full advantage of the invigorating space, which 1975 alumna Sally Stark Cutler made possible through her generous gift.

You'll see more additions at the football game vs. Trine University: our new football field and track as well as Brit, the first athletic mascot in Albion College's 176-year history. Schmidt-Fraser Field at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium was dedicated at Homecoming and honors Briton football coaching legends Pete Schmidt and Morley Fraser. The artificial turf surface can be cleared of snow during the winter, providing a year-round practice field for our student-athletes. The Elkin R. Isaac Track was replaced with a new base and all-weather running surface, and was accompanied by field event upgrades as well. The changes represent phase one of a multiphase plan for improvements to the College's athletic complex.

A large majority of our students regularly use our athletic and wellness facilities—whether they're student-athletes or intramural participants, or simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. On that note, the College is celebrating its theme year of wellness with regular activities and special events that promote health and wellness as a lifestyle for a lifetime. Of course, for students, preparing for life after Albion is a key component of wellness, and it starts from their first year on campus through the Albion Advantage, our four-year education model that thoughtfully integrates our rich liberal arts tradition with experience-based learning opportunities. In its second year, the Advantage already is helping students to realize their professional goals, offering them and their families assurance that in a challenging economy an Albion degree will enable graduates not only to find meaningful employment, but to make meaningful contributions to their communities and to society at large.

Spirit Day is a wonderful opportunity for Albion College and the Albion community to celebrate our heritage and together look toward the future—a future we're excited about. I hope that you take the time to look around, talk with our terrific faculty and students, and enjoy this special day on our campus. I look forward to seeing you on November 12.

Io Triumphe!

Donna M. Randall

President
www.albion.edu/president