Dear CCA Community,

We write to welcome you back! Classes begin on Wednesday, September 2, our studios are open, exhibitions are scheduled and by the end of September the walls of The Nave will showcase student work again. Whatever this coming academic year brings, that creative spirit remains constant.

As we begin CCA’s final academic year, two things can be true at the same time: our feelings about this complicated moment and the fact that a final year is still a year. Ten months of teaching, making, exhibiting, and discussing the work we are here to learn to create. The circumstances of this year may be new, but our purpose remains unchanged.

We want to be open about another truth: we are a smaller school this year. Fewer students, fewer faculty, fewer staff. That does not make the work in front of us any less important. If anything, this is a year where each of us will know more clearly how our own part connects to the whole, especially for our students.

The fall program is a good place to start. A number of events are already scheduled, including three exhibitions opening soon: New Look, Women to Watch 2027: Closer Reading, and The 31st Annual Hamaguchi Printmedia Exhibition. We encourage everyone to explore these events and support participation in these community events and programs.

Thanks to our team's outstanding student retention efforts this summer, we are ready to begin the academic year and are excited to welcome our returning students back to campus. We also want to share good news on the teach-out front: All teach-out partner applications are now open for Fall 2027! Students who have not yet applied should visit the Teach-Out Resources page on Portal for details! Staff in the Transition Hub are ready to help with any questions you may have about next steps.

We invite you to join colleagues across CCA for Faculty and Staff Welcome Week, August 26–September 1. Don't miss Monday, August 31—a dedicated day to reconnect through optional workshops and conversations. Please complete the Workshop Day interest survey to receive calendar invites.

In September and October, we'll hold All Staff and All Faculty meetings to share where things stand, including updates on the CCA Institute conversations with Vanderbilt. We're also working to make sure you have meaningful support this year: continued access to professional development, and early information as employment opportunities with Vanderbilt take shape.

We are glad to be starting this year with you. As some have already heard from President Howse, what we owe each other for this year is stewardship: of our students, of one another, of everything CCA has built and stood for, including the legacy we want to pay forward. That remains true. Significant change has come to CCA…but how we treat each other does not have to change. We can embrace this year with respect, with care, and with appreciation for the time we have together and for the community we still get to be a part of. We continue.

With appreciation,

David C. Howse
President

TT Takemoto
Provost