A LETTER FROM LORI BETTISON-VARGA

To the Scripps College Community:
I took the opportunity to listen and speak at the February 27th BeHeard Forum held at SCORE.
Some students do not agree with the decision I made regarding the LASPA Center director search. As the College president I must and do live with that, and I believe questioning about this search decision provides a learning moment for students about the College’s decision-making process. At the same time, I believe that members of the community who speak out against college decisions are impassioned, care deeply about Scripps and are working to make Scripps a better community.
I bring diversity of thought, background and experience to my decision-making process.  My senior team and I are committed to making this community a more diverse and inclusive environment.  We welcome input and feedback, especially when it is offered in a respectful spirit of collaboration and investment in the good of the College, and when it is based on accurately informed positions.
My commitment is, and always has been, to listen to and understand student, faculty, staff, and alumnae perspectives. There may be times when your input influences a presidential decision in the direction you desire. There may be times when your ideas alter or reverse a college decision. And there certainly will be times when even the most heartfelt and accurately informed opinions will not change a decision that falls in my purview to make.  
I believe that the SAS BeHeard Forum reflects a hallmark of what the Scripps College community is—a community. This College unites us as individuals and groups. We all have chosen the same place to invest ourselves and to pursue academic, professional, and personal goals and dreams, and that truly does link and unite us. The kinds of issues raised at the BeHeard Forum exemplify that our community works, because whether or not we agree on all issues, we come together to learn, share, understand, and listen.
I look forward to continuing positive and productive conversations in which all of us can join together to advance our collective fulfillment of the College’s mission.

Sincerely,
Lori Bettison-Varga