A few posts ago I asked for comments about this blog as it approaches its first birthday.
No, I didn’t really think many people would write and say, “no, don’t bother, we’re bored with it.” 
But I certainly was curious to see how many of you would send me thoughts and what themes might emerge from your comments.
First, lots of you wrote, and I thank you for the encouragement and appreciation you expressed! Several current parents wrote to say, in one way or another, that they don’t actually hear a lot about what’s going on on campus from their daughters, so they appreciate the blog giving them a sense of campus life. Many alumnae said, in one way or another, that they haven’t felt as connected to Sweet Briar since they (graduated) (served on a committee) (last came to Reunion) (moved further away) and that reading the blog has revived their sense of being involved. A couple of prospective students let me know that they’ve been reading along to get a sense of what it might really be like to live and study here.
One theme surprised me a little. Several people told me they don’t have a very clear sense of what a college president really does and they have enjoyed getting a sense of what this president pays attention to and thinks about. And a few others told me they have been interested to see the benefits of hearing from the College in a new medium.
A couple of folks offered suggestions. One was that I might, from time to time, address some of the more weighty or controversial issues facing higher education generally. (I am actively thinking about how best to incorporate some of this.) Another suggestion was that I enable public comments. (Sorry; although I can certainly see the value of that, I’m reluctant to commit myself to the extra time monitoring and responding to comments might require. For the time being, I think I will keep to the practice of asking those with important responses to send them to me via email.)
So, no doubt about it, I’ll be blogging into Year 2.
