Last week, I stood at home plate in the Dash baseball stadium with others, looking out at the seats—filled with Salem soon-to-be graduates, faculty and staff, trustees and administrators, loved ones and friends. It was an amazing sight—a moving sight—to see our community together and to experience the ritual of graduation. To stream it live meant that all our graduates, even those graduating in absentia, could be there. It mattered.

Later that day, I walked around campus with our featured speaker, Dr. Camara Jones, and spoke with faculty, staff, graduates, and others. Their presence transformed our beautiful campus anew.

Now, as we look forward to summer, we do so with even more hope BECAUSE we look forward to seeing you not only on screens but walking across campus, in the refectory, on our fields, and in our offices. What an amazing joy.

Meanwhile, we want to stay in touch—and to hear about your summers, your hopes, and your fears, as we prepare for your return. Please send us pictures we can share—and news as well.

As we move forward, here’s a quote from an author I like a lot, Rebecca Solnit, that I shared with our graduates. It rings true for all of us as well—

“the blue at the far edge of what can be seen, that color of horizons, of remote mountain ranges, of anything far away. The color of that distance is the color of an emotion, the color of solitude and desire, the color of there seen from here, the color of where you are not.” 

I wish you the happiest and most restful and productive of summers. Please stay in touch.

Susan Henking
Interim President

You enrolled, you registered for fall term, and you are moving toward degree completion. One of the biggest factors that contributes to being a successful Fleer student is to have a plan—a plan for everything! The Fleer Center staff teaches this philosophy from your first meet and greet, through academic advising and registration. We continue the theme of making a plan during orientation and weave planning into many student interactions. As Dean of the Martha H. Fleer Center there are some “Fleerisms” that are part of my everyday work and guiding adult students to have a plan is one of them.

Many times, Fleer students comment to me how good it feels to have the registration process behind them—I tell them it is because they have a plan. The Fleer students will also share how good it feels to have their major declared or their Sr. Letter submitted for evaluation once they reach 87+ semester hours—it is another step in the plan completed. The feelings are real!

The flip side of developing a plan is to keep an open mind when your plan requires an adjustment. Life is a constant set of changes and for an adult student the ability to change plans and adapt to a situation is valuable. Another key factor is that your plan should never be processed as an all-or-nothing. The framework of your plan must contribute towards the balance that makes your life work for you.

This summer, as life changes and you need to regroup and adjust your plan, reach out to the Fleer Center staff. It is our specialty! Degree completion is your goal and adjustments are key to getting there. Enjoy the long days of sunshine [it is my favorite time of year] as the southern summer begins.

Betty Telford
Dean of the Martha H. Fleer Center for Adult Education