Announcements

Join CGSE and leading faculty Peter Schadler, Jeff Engelhardt, and Scott Farrington to hear more about the 2026 "Sicilian Identities: Stirring the Pot of History & Heritage" Mosaic.

The deadline for proposals for new courses to be offered in the Spring 2026 semester is 4 PM Tuesday, September 9. APSC must take those course proposals to the October Faculty Meeting to secure approval for their offering. The New Course Proposal Form is available online on the APSC Curriculum Revisions webpage. Please email the completed form to apsc@dickinson.edu no later than 4 PM Tuesday, September 9.

Faculty may experiment with a new course by requesting that it be considered a "one-time-only" offering. Such courses require only the approval of APSC, not the entire faculty. To give the Committee sufficient information about these courses, however, you are required to submit the course proposal form, indicating "one-time-only" prominently on the top of the form.

Students should use Banner Self-Service (http://gateway.dickinson.edu) to add or drop classes through 11:59 pm, Sunday, September 7th. Forms are due by 4 pm on Friday, September 5th. Forms may be found on the Registrar Office Forms webpage (https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20088/registrar_s_office/220/forms). Questions should be emailed to reg@dickinson.edu.

Moving into a dorm or apartment and in need of household necessities? Check out Dson Market! Dson Market is the place for the Dickinson community to buy, sell, and trade sustainably. Right now we have several items listed for free that were donated during Green Move-Out! Books, plates, lamps, wastebaskets, cups, dorm decor, hangers, fans, and more are all available for you to claim. Support sustainability at Dickinson and save a few bucks by utilizing this great platform!

Heading back to campus for fall and realizing you missed the College Farm's CSA signups? No worries, join us for the rest of the season! The 24-week option will take you through the shares left until early November, and the 30-week option will take you until mid-December. Head over to our CSA page here to sign up: https://dickinsoncollegefarm.csaware.com/store/. We offer small or large shares, weekly or bi-weekly pickups, and two pickup days with three convenient locations. Plus, check out our grass-fed beef and fresh-cut flower bouquet add-ons!

The Convocation 2025 Ceremony will be held on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m., and brings together the entire Dickinson community to mark the start of the academic year. This will include the time-honored tradition of signing into the college for transfer students and the Class of 2029. Members of the Class of 2026 are invited to join faculty and administrators in the academic procession preceding the ceremony and should meet behind Althouse, near the Mermaid Trellis at 3:45 p.m. with the procession beginning at 4 p.m. In the event of severe weather, the ceremony will occur in ATS. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the Convocation website.

Help The Trout Gallery ring in the new Fall Semester with a reception for two exhibitions, "To Listen Deeply" and "Imprint: Selected Gifts from Eric Denker '75." Enjoy free pizza made by the Dickinson College farm and served on Weiss plaza!

Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, 5-7 PM.
Free and open to the public.

Students, Faculty, and Staff,

The Dickinson Department of Compliance & Enterprise Risk Management is planning to conduct its annually-required fire drills in all non-residential buildings next week, the week of September 1st. These are performed to practice emergency response and to comply with national regulations for fire drills. The drills will be largely unannounced apart from this message. Please know that many considerations were made in selecting fire drill times including collaboration with the Dean’s Office, Access and Disability Services, and others.

Each fire drill will consist of several elements: the alarm activation, occupant evacuation, and congregation at your building’s designated outdoor emergency assembly area. Once occupants have been successfully evacuated, the college’s Safety & Emergency Management Specialist will review basic fire safety with the group before allowing reentry into the building. Each drill is anticipated to last less than ten minutes, largely dependent on the number of building occupants.

Please note the following:

If you are unfamiliar with your building’s emergency assembly area, this information can be found on your building’s Quick Reference Guides, located throughout each building by fire alarm pull stations and exit doors. We ask that you review this information for each building you may visit.

Take note of alternate exit routes in your building. Studies have shown that occupants often exit a building through the same door they entered. Knowing alternate exit routes greatly improves your response in the event of an evacuation.

Members of the college’s Workplace Safety Committee will be assisting the Department of Compliance & Enterprise Risk Management and DPS with these drills. Those helping will have the responsibility to assist with the evacuation process. If you should require assistance during one of the drills, please locate one of these individuals for further assistance.

For buildings without a central alarm system, a verbal announcement will be made via megaphone repeating the following: “This is fire drill, please evacuate the building” until the building has been fully evacuated.

Click here for more information on fire safety at Dickinson College.

Lauren Lasater
Director, Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management

This new monthly chapel service will be open to all students, faculty, and staff, and centers creative expression, social justice, and intellectual curiosity. There will be community, coffee, and cookies following the service.

Fall 2025 chapel schedule:

Sunday, 9/7 – Welcome Week Chapel
11:00 AM, Corson Interfaith Chapel, Allison Hall, second floor

Sunday, 10/5 – Multifaith Week Chapel
4:00 PM, Corson Interfaith Chapel, Allison Hall, second floor

Sunday, 11/1 – All-Saints Day Chapel
11:00 AM, Corson Interfaith Chapel, Allison Hall, second floor

Sunday, 12/7 – Holiday Chapel
11:00 AM, Corson Interfaith Chapel, Allison Hall, second floor

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Common questions and answers:

Q: Who can attend?
A: All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend. Attendance is never expected nor required.

Q: What tradition will chapel follow?
A: Chapel will honor Dickinson’s historic United Methodist Church roots and embrace a format inclusive of the diverse Christian traditions present within our community. Chapel will be a shared spiritual space that invites all participants into meaningful reflection and connection. Common terms for this style of chapel are “interdenominational” or “ecumenical.”

Q: Why chapel and why now?
A: Dickinson continues to have robust religious and spiritual diversity. The hope is that this additional gathering space adds to the tapestry of opportunities for religious and spiritual expression.

Q: How long are services?
A: Services will be about 30-45 minutes.

Q: What will services entail?
A: Services will often include creative expressions (music, poetry, readings), a brief message, and opportunity for collective reflection.

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If you are interested in participating in chapel (music, poetry, readings, or more) or joining the chapel crew (supports planning and implementation of chapel services), please reach out to Rev. Jessica Chapman Lape at chapmaje@dickinson.edu.

Consistent with our educational mission, all academic and co-curricular programs by Dickinson College are open to all members of our community.

The Alumni Council is seeking applications for 2025-2026 Student Ambassadors!

Alumni Council Student Ambassador Job Description:
Student Ambassadors of the Alumni Council represent the Dickinson student body to the alumni community with a specific focus on helping the council engage with current students, build traditions that connect students and alumni with the college, and provide insight into the current student experience.

Student Ambassadors are selected to a 1-year term beginning on July 1 and running through June 30th. Students are welcome to apply to serve additional 1-year terms throughout their undergraduate years.

Responsibilities:
• Assist in planning opportunities for alumni and student connections.
• Serve on one standing committee of the Council.
• Attend three scheduled meetings during the course of the year and participate in additional virtual meetings as needed.
• Engage in meaningful ways with alumni, current students and through Dickinson events.

About the Alumni Council:
The mission of the Alumni council is to activate the Dickinson alumni community by increasing and sustaining engagement between and among students, alumni, and the College. Business and activities are developed and executed under the guidance of the college’s Advancement Division and the Council’s Executive Committee.

2025 – 2026 Meetings
• Fall Meeting: September 19 – 20, 2025
• Winter Meeting: January 30 – 31, 2026
• Student Leadership Weekend April 17 – 18, 2026
• Spring Meeting: June 12, 2026 (On-campus housing will be provided to student ambassadors for this meeting.)

The August/September Edition of Vitality is now available in the "More Information" link below.

Upcoming program and event highlights:

Rethinking Imposter Syndrome: Friday, August 29, from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Stern Great Room | Join the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for an insightful presentation by internationally recognized expert Dr. Valerie Young, co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute. Dr. Young has spent decades helping individuals and organizations understand and overcome impostor syndrome—a phenomenon that affects high achievers in all industries.

*YMCA360: Thanks to a new partnership with the Carlisle Family YMCA, all full- and part-time faculty and staff will soon have access to YMCA360—a virtual platform offering a variety of wellness classes to support your health journey. Access to the application will be available starting September 1, 2025.

*Charter Day: Tuesday, September 9, from 5-7:30 p.m. on the Academic Quad. Open to students, faculty, and staff

*Free Fitness Programs begin the week of September 8. RSVP for sessions in EngageD by searching for keywords or selecting the “Group Fitness” category.

*TIAA (September 4) and Fidelity (September 15) on campus consultations

*Maximize Social Security in Your Retirement Strategy webinar | Monday, September 29, noon to 1 p.m.

*United Way Day of Caring: Friday, October 10. Kick-off is at 8 a.m. at Allison Hall. Projects run from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Register by Thursday, September 18.

*American Heart Association Heart Walk: Tuesday, September 30. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Kline Center Patio. The walk will start at 6 p.m.

Enjoy a variety of other community-based programs, events and opportunities also shared in the issues of Vitality throughout the year.

Join us 9/9/25 from 12-1pm in Althouse 204 as we kick off the 2025 Dickinson Annual Investment Competition! Come and meet INBM faculty; Watch demos; and learn general information, tips, and valuable resources to help you succeed.

Registration Period: 9/2/25 thru 9/10/25 via Handshake.

Lunch provided

Wellness programs offered for the Fall 2025 semester begin September 8th. Full Body Circuits (formerly Lunch Crunch) will return this year, along with a variety of other group fitness classes, including a new addition, Gentle Yoga. These activities and more can be found in EngageD by searching for key words "Group Fitness" or "Health, Wellness, and Safety." Please sign up for each class individually through EngageD, as we begin to transition away from Totara.

RSVP in EngageD:
Gentle Yoga: Mondays – beginning 9/8 – 11/3 (no class on 10/20 – Fall pause) | Noon to 1 p.m.
Camp Cardio: Thursdays – beginning 9/11 – 10/30 | Noon to 1 p.m.
DEW Power Yoga: Fridays – beginning 9/12-10/31 | Noon to 1 p.m.
Sports Yoga: Wednesdays – beginning 9/10-9/29 | 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.
Full Body Circuits: Wednesdays – beginning 9/10-9/29 | Noon to 1 p.m.

September 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | HUB Side Room

Questions about retirement? Your financial consultant has answers. Making decisions about your money can feel complicated. TIAA’s experienced financial consultants are available to help you plan for your future. One-on-one personal advice and education about your retirement plan assets is available at no additional cost. During your discussion, they’ll cover questions like:

1. Am I saving enough?
2. Am I invested appropriately?
3. Am I on track to meet my retirement goals?

Schedule time today for an appointment with TIAA financial consultant, Nigel Stearns. To schedule a personal meeting please click the more information link below or call 800-732-8353 (remember to ask for the Dickinson College schedule), weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). All appointments must be scheduled through TIAA.

All employees are invited to the Fall Semester Kickoff Picnic to take place behind the Clark Forum with a rain location of the Rector Atrium. This event is free and requires no tickets. Guests and families are welcome! Please RSVP at www.dickinson.edu/DickisonClub. Deadline extended to Wednesday 8/27 at noon.

Friday, September 12 | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Allison Hall Community Room

Sponsored by ROTC

Please consider donating blood to support your local community by participating in this blood drive! “Give a Pint, Get a Pint” (certificate) from Bruster’s Ice Cream and free CPBB swag and while supplies last!

For more questions or details about blood donation to the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, please visit the more information link below or call 1-800-771-0059.