Hobart and William Smith Colleges

From the Desk of V.P. for DEI Bill Woodson

A highlight of the past month for me was the February 16-17 PossePlus Retreat, which HWS again held at the Harbor Hotel, in Watkins Glen. Having heard great things about the Posse Scholars program for more than a decade, I was excited to know I was coming to a campus that already had established a long and rewarding relationship with Posse. The annual PPR is a signature event for Posse college partners. And the positive energy, the thoughtful reflections, and the community building engendered by this year’s retreat easily exceeded my expectations! Read more about Posse and this year’s PPR in our newsletter.

In addition, March marks Women’s History Month, and in this month’s edition you can learn about some exciting programming happening, including a day of activities scheduled for March 8!

Reflections on the PossePlus Retreat at HWS

By Vincent Orlando ’23, MSM’24, ODEI Graduate Community Assistant

On February 16 and 17, HWS Posse students, along with their mentors, and more than 40 “Posse Pluser” students, faculty, and staff, participated in a two-day retreat at the Harbor Hotel, in Watkins Glen. The tradition of the annual PossePlus Retreat goes all the way back to the first Posse Partner campus, where Vanderbilt University’s Posse students were inspired to create an experience that would have a positive impact on their entire campus community.

As described on the Posse Foundation website, “During each PossePlus Retreat weekend, a cross section of the campus community — students, faculty and administrators — come together to talk about the topic on a national, campus and personal level. By creating a safe space for dialogue between campus community members who may not ordinarily interact with one another, retreats today have become an important forum to engage in social, cultural and political issues.” (from: https://www.possefoundation.org/supporting-scholars/posseplus-retreats)

This year’s PPR participants included President Mark Gearan, Vice President for Campus Life Becca Barile, and Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk, who had this to say about her experience, “I am so grateful to have been invited to the PossePlus Retreat. Through past experience, I knew we had amazing Posse Scholars on our campus, but I was still impressed with the depth of the conversation on the challenging issues facing our educational system today and the thoughtful thinking through about solutions for a better future. The retreat was a wonderful opportunity to see community in action and celebrate our Scholars.”

Associate Dean of Student Engagement, Matthew Roche, also attended and captured the spirit of the retreat perfectly when he reflected, "I thoroughly enjoyed my first PPR. It was a great opportunity to meet students I had not before, engage in important dialogue, and create a better understanding of where some of our students come from and experiences that they have had on our campus. This was one of my favorite experiences since joining HWS in July!"

PPR was also memorable for participating faculty members, as highlighted by Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Craig Talmage. “The PossePlus Retreat was an impactful experience. As a faculty member, I found the facilitation where we got into family units and had to navigate our child through elementary, middle, and high school education as well as eventually apply to college to be the most powerful experience. As a unit, our 'family' reflected on what education means to us; epitomizing the spirit of the liberal arts, we decided that education shows us how to live a good life which is rooted in generosity towards others."

Associate Professor of Politics and chair of the politics department, DeWayne Lucas, echoed Talmage's sentiments, emphasizing the retreat's value as an opportunity to step away from campus and engage in discussions vital to higher education. Lucas found reassurance in the diverse voices and challenges shared by students, faculty, and staff, recognizing commonalities across their experiences and the importance of honest dialogue. He stated, “As in past years, PPR was a great opportunity for members of the Colleges' community to get away from campus and discuss issues facing higher education. While it was reaffirming to hear the array of voices and challenges faced by students, faculty, and staff, it was also reassuring to know that there were commonalities across our different experiences and that we could hear and see one other honestly. I've long been a fan of the PPR as it gives us opportunities to discuss important issues of the day from our own perspectives in fun and engaging ways.”

These testimonials underscore the profound impact of the PossePlus Retreat, emphasizing its role in cultivating leadership and fostering meaningful dialogue and community engagement within the HWS campus. PPR participants strengthened their connections with each other and the Colleges while gained insights into the challenges facing higher education.