Message from the President
Dear Alumnae and Friends,
Peace College captured my heart forever when I was a student here. Little did I know then, however, that years later the College would steal my heart in a new way. I find it hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since 1998 when I enthusiastically accepted the responsibilities of the presidency at Peace. Each day of service has been an honor, a privilege, a delight and a challenge. I gladly serve Peace to exercise my passion for the place, to shape its promise, inspire its people and guide the young women whose values and lives are indelibly influenced here.
Still in its formative years, our baccalaureate program has remarkable successes to celebrate and build upon. Alumnae have gone on to grad schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Auburn University, Harvard and Juilliard, completing work in a variety of fields including business, law, education, music and medicine. Our consistent top ten percent rankings in the National Survey of Student Engagement demonstrate how our talented faculty and staff create successful mentoring relationships with students. We already have a powerful legacy of strengthening and preparing our graduates for important careers and meaningful lives. Our students go out in the world, change it for the good, flourish in it, make a difference with everyone they meet and, thereby, honor the families, faculty and staff who guide and teach them.
Throughout her history, Peace has benefited enormously from the courageous leadership of members of our boards, spirited alumna leaders, and dedicated friends and volunteers. These stalwart benefactors—with vision and decisiveness—created the campus and the academic community we celebrate today. Now, Peace is on the cusp of a great new era. We must lead the way forward in this 21st century and keep pace with progress and our aspirations. We must work to guarantee the Promise of Peace with the creation of a re-imagined, innovative Contemporary Campus. Features of our new contemporary campus include a renovation and expansion of the Lucy Cooper Finch Library, the renovation of Pressly Arts and Science Building, and the creation of new student and community gathering spaces through a new Campus Commons. The Commons will link the Belk Student Center and the Hermann Athletic Center to create a “Main Street” center of campus activity and community. In addition to funding these changes to our physical spaces, we must also significantly increase our endowment so that we have a more powerful financial engine to support the needs of our growing campus.
Many donors have made gifts or pledges to the Promise of Peace Campaign since it began in the 2004-2005 year. We now ask others to join us. As we launch the public phase of the campaign, I urge you to step forward to help fund the dreams and ambitions envisioned for Peace—to champion our cause with new and increased levels of giving and with a resolve to position Peace as a college of distinction—strengthening women for today and tomorrow.
Please join in fulfilling the Promise of Peace.
Laura Carpenter Bingham ’77
President
