January 21, 2025 – Welcome to Spring 2025 at Davidson College

Dear Members of the Davidson College Community,

Greetings on this first day of spring semester for Davidson College. We are glad to welcome back our 2,000 students, especially the 200 or so who studied abroad in the fall. With the temperatures in the 20s on campus, I hope to see many students and colleagues at 4:30 this afternoon, in the Brown Atrium of the Alvarez College Union, for coffee and hot chocolate. It is good to be together again and to re-commit, with energy, to our primary purpose of preparing young people with humane instincts and disciplined, creative minds for lives of leadership and service.

At the start of the school year, I focused my welcome letter on the theme of building a community of trust. This commitment remains central to who we are at Davidson College—and who we aspire to be. We pursue this work even as national surveys report record levels of distrust in higher education. At this key moment, our educational work has never been more important.

Here are some central commitments that lead us to earn and sustain that trust:

1. Mutual Respect and Free Expression: Davidson is a remarkable learning community because of the myriad experiences each community member—faculty, staff, and students—brings. Our Statement of Purpose declares: “As a college that welcomes students, faculty, and staff from a variety of nationalities, ethnic groups, and traditions, Davidson values diversity, recognizing the dignity and worth of every person.” Our Commitment to Freedom of Expression, affirmed by the Faculty and Board of Trustees, underscores our aspirations and responsibilities. We must continue to ensure we are welcoming all voices in classrooms and across campus. This also includes confronting hard truths about our college’s history and acting to foster reconciliation and to expand our community. Overall, we must leverage trust in one another to enable free expression for all.
2. Honor and Integrity: The Honor Code is the bedrock of our community of trust. Groups across campus are working diligently to update and educate about our shared practices of academic integrity. The Honor Council and the Student Government Association are collaborating with the Faculty and the Board of Trustees to deepen our commitment to the Honor Code. Last semester, Davidson convened a dozen schools from around the country—members of their honor councils and advisors—to exchange best practices and address common challenges. This spring, we will host a week of programming to celebrate the Honor Code and how it has shaped the lives and careers of Davidson graduates.
3. Educational Excellence: We must constantly innovate to provide a transformative educational experience for students. Last week I proudly affirmed for our accreditors Davidson’s graduation rate of 92%—one of the highest in the nation— and a 95% first-year retention rate. These outcomes are consistent across demographic and socio-economic groups. We achieve these outcomes through curricular and co-curricular programs that support the needs of the individuals who comprise our diverse student body, and through the creativity, care, and intelligence of our faculty and staff, who create a learning environment where each student is known by name. Our alumni continue to engage with the college at levels that distinguish us from other schools because they, as I, can name teachers, staff members, and coaches who changed their lives here.
4. Affordability and Accessibility: We must make this high-quality education accessible and affordable. Davidson is one of only two dozen colleges and universities across the U.S. that does three things: 1) We make admissions decisions without regard to one’s financial resources, 2) we meet 100% of calculated need, and 3) we provide aid packages that do not include loans—only grants and a work-study expectation. A majority of our endowment’s annual draw goes directly to students as financial aid. The overall financial aid commitment of Davidson—funded from both endowment draw and our operating budget—is approximately $75 million per year.
5. Civic Engagement: Davidson is a devoted institutional citizen and neighbor. We are highly engaged through our Center for Civic Engagement, the Hurt Hub, course-based projects, and our Davidson Impact Fellows to serve the Town of Davidson and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. Last year’s economic impact study highlighted our role: we welcome 140,000 visitors a year to the Town of Davidson and contribute over $400 million annually to the Charlotte economy. As a top educational institution, we must build on our civic partnerships to expand the ways we contribute as a neighbor.

We remain committed to being good stewards of our finances. We are a well-resourced college, thanks to the ongoing generosity of alumni, family, foundations, and friends. Our college is attracting and educating highly talented students from all backgrounds. That has everything to do with the values noted above—including our ability to provide tremendous financial aid from our endowment.

Building a community of trust and living out our educational purpose are top priorities for Davidson. I will continue communicating our values and commitments with leaders in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Washington—and I encourage you to do the same. I look forward to the semester ahead. Thank you for your part in making Davidson College a remarkable community.

Doug Hicks '90
President