Dear Cornish Community,

As I write this, a student is practicing piano — or perhaps composing a new piece — just down the hall. This afternoon, I caught a glimpse through the window of the work underway to display the works of Cornish faculty member Susan Boye in the Behnke Family Gallery, a thrilling exhibit that opens Friday, September 27. And I chatted with faculty member and Amélie director Rich Gray about the rehearsals underway for this fall’s musical, which he says is shaping up to be a stunner. There is so much good work happening right now, it’s impossible to mention it all.

There’s nothing more thrilling than the Cornish campus in the fall, as new students arrive, returning students dive back into their work, and the art starts happening all around us. We are all focused on the year ahead, as well as the future of Cornish.

Important work is underway to shape that future and make sure that Cornish’s programs, curriculum and services keep up with the pace of change around us, while staying true to the core mission of our institution.

The administration has been focused on delivering that mission, including by developing an updated Strategic Plan. We are happy to report that the Board of Trustees approved the Strategic Plan on Sept. 13. Thank you to everyone in the Cornish community who helped get us to this point, particularly the faculty, staff, students and trustees who joined us for the various committees. Your work has been critical. Since then, we have been working on an implementation strategy that will include critical discussions with key stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and the board. Soon, we will share the Strategic Plan publicly and be discussing the various ways we’ll be implementing and working toward the initiatives outlined in this critical document.

This is not a dry, boring pamphlet to toss in a drawer and forget about. Rather, this Strategic Plan will be our North Star and keep us focused in the months and years ahead. We are excited to share it with the community, and will be rolling out the details very soon. 

Additionally, as many of you know, we have moved forward with the sale of Kerry Hall. This is the college’s last building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and will complete our decades-long plans to consolidate the campus in South Lake Union. While the sale is still not finalized, we are hoping to be able to share updates on this in the coming month. We will also host a gathering to say goodbye to this treasured building, where Cornish was founded and where many of you have taken and taught courses, made connections, performed and practiced. We will soon announce details on how we will honor that legacy and celebrate all that has happened in that special space, so stay tuned.  

I am committed to more frequent communication to make sure our full community is kept in the loop about all the work that’s underway. We have scheduled monthly fireside chats for the faculty and staff, and I will be joining the student senate periodically at tables in the café during lunch to better connect with students at a time that’s convenient for you. We have expanded the President’s Cabinet and the Leadership team to include a more representative group, and have invited the Student Senate president to participate in the Board of Trustees’ Academic Affairs and Student Success Committee. The discussions have been lively and insightful, and it’s great to see the wealth of ideas that have come from bringing these groups together. As we explore the various ways to move the college forward, through external partnerships, new and updated programs and services, and creative ways to deliver a top-notch educational experience, these inclusive groups will be critical places for feedback and ideation.  

On a personal note, I wanted to thank everyone for being so welcoming to me in my first few months as interim president. It has truly been a joy to get to know those of you who I’ve had a chance to meet, and I look forward to meeting everyone in the coming months. This is a special place and that’s because of all of you. I feel fortunate every day to join you on this shared mission to develop and celebrate the emerging artists in our midst.

I’d also like to return the favor and offer a warm welcome to all of the new folks who have joined us as employees at Cornish over the summer and so far this fall. I hope you’ve felt the warmth from this community. Thanks for lending us your talents and experience. We are fortunate to have you.

Sincerely,
Emily Parkhurst
Cornish College of the Arts Interim President