November 27, 2023

Dear students,

As the end of the semester approaches, I am writing to thank you for your efforts to sustain a strong sense of community during a challenging period. I also want to share a few updates.

Game

It was a beautiful day for the 139th game and, although it was close at times, the Bulldogs dominated. Here's a picture of me with Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana. He is developing a very nice wardrobe of Yale swag. The same day, the volleyball team won the Ivy League tournament, which we hosted here on campus. Go Bulldogs!

Fiddler

The Dramat produced a timely and moving production of the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” The University Theater was packed. Here’s a picture of the wedding scene that I took from the balcony.

Thanksgiving

It was great to see over 300 of you at the Omni Hotel for Thanksgiving. These Thanksgiving dinners started during Covid and have become a tradition. My family and I (pictured here) enjoyed meeting many of you.

Dialogues

We have held three dean's dialogues so far this year. The dean’s dialogues invite faculty members and visitors to speak with me and students about contemporary and sometimes challenging topics. One of the series’ goals is to model conversation as a mode of engagement.

In September, I hosted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to talk about challenges in contemporary Europe; in October, Political Science Professor Bryan Garsten and I discussed meritocracy and college admissions. Most recently, November’s dialogue was with two Yale faculty — English professor Feisal Mohamed and poet and translator Peter Cole — who discussed the human aspects of the October 7 terrorist attacks and the Israel-Hamas war. Next week, Jackson School Senior Fellows Ross Douthat and Emma Sky will join me to continue discussion of the human dimensions of the conflict and also consider its political and strategic implications. If you would like to attend, you can sign up here.

Course registration

By now, you will have all had a chance to register for next semester’s courses. This year, we are experimenting with keeping registration open through the end of exam period. This gives you an opportunity to make changes up until Thursday, December 21 at 5:00 pm. You will also be able to add or drop classes in January. You can learn more here. If you have not yet selected your courses for next semester, I recommend that you reach out to your adviser or Director of Undergraduate Studies this week.

Good luck with your exams and final projects.

Congratulations to five Yalies who have been named Rhodes Scholars. And congratulations to the class of 2023.5!

Sincerely,

Pericles Lewis
Dean of Yale College
Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature Professor of English