Dear Marietta College family:
As we embark on a new and exciting academic year, I want to offer a very warm Pioneer welcome to our new students, as well as an enthusiastic greeting to all of our returning students — some of whom may be starting their final year as undergraduates — Congrats!!!
I wish there was a way to bottle up the excitement generated by the start of a new academic year. There is so much anticipation and enjoyment as everyone gets reacquainted with friends, faculty and staff, and new friendships are developed. Many of you had the opportunity to experience some of the excitement first-hand yesterday during the second annual Campus Kickoff Dinner.
You also saw first-hand what it means when we say Pioneer Pride. This is something that will carry on throughout the academic year through our choirs, bands, campus speakers, academic events, theatre performances, art exhibitions and athletic teams.
Here is an easy way to get involved: join our faculty, staff, students and me, and represent the College during the annual Washington County Fair Parade on Saturday, August 31st. Show our amazing community that you are a proud member of PioNation and help us participate in a great community event and hand out candy to more than 500 children who line the city streets.
Throughout the year there will be numerous opportunities to engage with each other. Marietta College is where you will enjoy a close collaboration with talented professors, learn in great classrooms and labs, and have an opportunity to conduct extensive undergraduate research. As a Pioneer, your potential is unlimited.
This fall, we welcome approximately 400 new students — many of whom were among their high school’s highest achieving students. Included among this group is the first Virginia McCoy Scholarship recipient and the five students who received the inaugural Charles Sumner Harrison Scholarships.
As you walk around our beautiful 90-acre campus, which is part of Marietta’s historic downtown district, you will detect some beautiful enhancements to our landscaping, as well as $100,000 of improvements to the Gilman Student Center — thanks to a donation from one of our most loyal alumni. The College also received a sizable donation to assist in a summer renovation project at Don Schaly Stadium that will guarantee Marietta’s baseball program has the finest facility in all of NCAA Division III.
Marietta College students come from almost every state and from across the world. That diversity of people and opinions will make a positive impact on your overall experience at Marietta. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for the entire community, regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, beliefs, or perspectives.
Best wishes for a memorable and successful 2019-20 at Marietta College. We are glad you are back.
Bring Forth a Pioneer!
Bill Ruud
President and Professor of Management