The First 100 Days

A Message from the President

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is the nation’s first stand-alone honors college with a long tradition of providing excellence in education. Joining as the eighth President July 1, 2025, is truly an honor, and a privilege, to work with distinguished faculty and board members, highly motivated students, dedicated staff and engaged alums. Further, SMCM is positioned in an unparalleled location in a state supportive of higher education and co-located with a historic treasure in Historic St. Mary’s City. A major asset to our location is that of the nearby Pax River Naval Air Station. All these factors combine to present the opportunity to enhance and position SMCM for an even brighter, stronger future. Together, we will achieve new heights.

The 100 Day Listening Tour included many meetings from one-on-one discussions to large groups to receptions for alums, students, staff and faculty. Additionally, it included an intense 38-day communications and outreach plan to connect with community members, alums and other external stakeholders. The idea behind the tour was to provide opportunity for me to learn as much as possible by meeting with those who are part of the SMCM community. In total, there were over 265 meetings conducted over the 100-day period, with 105 of those specifically for the listening tour. Of course, the conversations for the other meetings often centered on my learning. Hundreds of people attended and nearly 200 provided feedback via the online listening tour link, connected to the Office of the President webpage for which there were over 1,300 visits during the timeframe.

More details will be forthcoming now that the tour has officially closed. Additional meetings will continue as well as establishing goals to meet with the units and  departments across campus on a regular basis throughout the future.