President Teresa Amott convened the single largest audience of Knox alumni and parents ever for a phone conference and question-and-answer session on Wednesday, March 30.

The Telephone Town Hall, which lasted just short of an hour, drew more than 2,000 participants at its height.

If you were unable to join us for the phonecast, listen to an archived recording.

President Amott kicked off the event by briefly reviewing the most significant changes on campus since she joined the administration in 2011, including the re-opening of Alumni Hall and the start of construction on the new Whitcomb Art Building. She noted that while there has been skepticism in the media over the value of a college education, she feels that "Knox is uniquely well-positioned" to serve an increasingly diverse student population and prepare them for professional success.

She went on to answer more than a dozen questions from Knox alumni of all generations and current and former parents of students.

Campus Improvements

Infrastructure was a recurring theme; callers wanted to know about the College's intentions regarding renovations to dining and residence halls, the Umbeck Science and Mathematics Center, and other campus facilities. She joked with one alumna, now a parent considering Knox for her own children's education, that "the great thing about Knox is it's exactly as you remember it. And the worst thing about Knox is it's exactly as you remember it." The president acknowledged that while Knox has been a good steward of its facilities, it must do more to provide the best tools for contemporary teaching, including new technology as well as facilities and equipment.

Plans for New Academic Programs

Callers were also highly interested in the development and introduction of new academic programs to the curriculum. The president reported that Knox will introduce four new minors—in statistics, astronomy, health studies, and design— in fall 2016. She also said that faculty look toward fields where there is both a strong student interest and a growing body of scholarship. "You never want to just add majors, because it's a resource commitment, unless you're absolutely confident that you can support those majors in the future."

Faculty Recruitment and Retention

In addition, alumni wanted to know what Knox is doing to attract and retain great faculty, particularly in the sciences. President Amott agreed that faculty excellence was key to the College and noted that the recent endowment of a chair in mathematics paved the way for the new statistics minor. Faculty are the core of the educational program, the president asserted. "The best way for us to improve faculty compensation is to create endowed chair positions, which then subsidize the salary of a faculty member and allow the operating budget to get some relief, as well as to create new opportunities for students.

Title IX

One caller asked for an update on changes to the College's Title IX policies and procedures. President Amott noted that the College has made many changes over the years to the ways it investigates sexual assaults on campus, including moving to a single investigator model instead of a grievance panel to minimize the number of times students have to share their stories. "There's still work to do; I would never tell you we're done," she said. "There's a long way to go, but I think we're better than we have been in the past."

Prairie Fire Athletics

A pair of callers wanted to know more about how the College planned to support student-athletes. She noted that when she arrived at Knox, donor support for athletics was "inadequate" but that the K Club has now crossed the $100,000 fundraising threshold for the first time in its history. She also applauded coaching staff and teams for their strong performances in the last year, including the women's basketball team's first winning season since the 1990s and conference championship appearances by both the men's and women's soccer teams. "I have been at institutions in the past with very strong and very competitive programs in athletics, and I want nothing less than that for Knox," she said. "I don't think we should settle for anything less than excellence."

One young alumna wanted to know what recent graduates could do to stay involved with Knox. President Amott advised them to considering mentoring students, hosting internships at their employers, offering job shadowing opportunities, and attending alumni events. "We need your energy, we need your ideas, and we need your feedback," she said.

A Call for 1,000 More Donors

Unsurprisingly, given that fully half of callers' questions related to the need for additional investment in faculty and facilities, she also encouraged alumni and parents to give to the College. Reiterating her call for 1,000 more donors this fiscal year than last, she said, "The last two years have been the largest years for giving in the history of the College. We are deep in a major fundraising campaign, but that campaign is not going to happen unless we get more of you to give."

The importance of donors was further underlined at a campus event held earlier in the week. At Donor Thank You Days, students came together to personally thank the 7,743 individuals and organizations who made a gift to Knox last year. Watch a video of the event.

Based on the success of her inaugural phonecast, the president hopes to schedule future calls. Alumni, parents, and friends interested in participating should take time to update their contact information with the College.