To the campus community,  

As the Outdoor Programs Office supervises the First Year Trips Programs, we feel it important to add our voice to current campus dialogue on the selection process for DOC First Year Trips directorate.  We always strive to foster an environment responsive to student initiative and supportive of student leadership and agency.  We believe our partnership with students is crucial for our success.  The trips program is an outstanding example of this trusting, productive partnership.

We always want to ensure that incoming students have a safe, welcoming experience and we spare no effort in making sure that we have the best team in place to do this important and challenging work.  In fact, forming this team is one of the first and most consequential tasks facing the student directors.  OPO is privileged to support them through this process.  Daily, for weeks, we saw our student directors work hard to create a fair, balanced application process.  We also observed their efforts to select leaders based on program and community needs.  Then, as they notified applicants, we saw them recognize it as an important people-process—an often emotional experience that should be treated with care and concern.  

Our privilege working with the student directors obliges us to write now:  We fully support our directors and the choices they've made for this year's directorate.  Outdoor Programs commitment to an inclusive community for all guides our work with the First Year Trips program—a moment when the Dartmouth experience begins for so many.