Letter from the President and Provost

Dear Otis Alumnx and Friends, 

Welcome to the Fall 2021 issue of Grid at Otis College, a digital magazine created for you, which began one year ago this week. You can learn more about this issue from Anna Raya in her editor’s letter, but we wanted to share a few fall highlights from the College. 

We’re thrilled to be back on campus. Students and faculty are working together to share their creativity, offering a renewed, vibrant energy on campus. The Residence Hall is bustling with activity and the campus community is following strict COVID-19 guidelines. We’ve also learned much over the past year about flexibility, being open to change, and how those values are essential to an education in art and design.

This fall we welcomed our largest student body in 20 years with 1,252 BFA and MFA students. They come from all over the country and from all corners of the world. Twenty-five percent of our students are international. We are also thrilled that 30 percent of our population is comprised of first-generation students. Helping these students navigate college life will be an important area of focus for our Academic and Campus Life divisions. 

We’re also holding events on campus again. On September 30, we celebrated Otis’s 103rd birthday with cupcakes and treats on the Commons, and this past weekend we hosted Family Day and the Admissions Open House for prospective students and their families. Honoring our rich past while inviting a new generation of artists and designers to join in our legacy is always a privilege. 

Part of what makes Otis so inspiring is the strength and diversity of our campus community. We launched a campaign this fall called “You Belong Here,” which you can read more about in this issue, to honor the sense that students and alumnx have expressed how they found a creative home at Otis. We’ve enjoyed meeting students on campus and are impressed by the tight-knit community that exists here. This community not only helps our students stay connected after they graduate, but also provides them with lifelong personal and professional networks.

Last year was challenging, but it also showed the strength of our community of supporters. We’re pleased to share a new online Honor Roll of our Donors, which we hope you will visit. We could not have weathered the challenges of the past year, or entered this exciting new period of growth and transformation, without your support. Thank you.

Sincerely, 

Charles Hirschhorn, President

Jiseon Lee Isbara, Provost