Report from YAA Assembly and Convocation
November 14-15, 2024
by Bill Crosby ’65, YAA Delegate
The primary role of a class representative is to attend the annual YAA Assembly and Convocation and report to the class on what is happening at Yale. This year more than most, there are new developments, including a new President of Yale.
The theme of this year’s Assembly and Convocation was “Leading for a Better World: Health, Historical Inquiry, & the Environment at Yale.”
Below is a photo of the Yale campus taken on the morning of November 14 from the Omni Hotel at the beginning of the YAA event.
For me the high point of the presentations was the address by the new President of Yale, Maurie McInnis. She is nearing the end of her first semester at Yale in her new role. She has participated in a lot of meetings and listening sessions. She reported that Yale has been expanding access and affordability, including recruiting in small towns, rural areas, in New Haven, and around the world. 25% of students are classified as low income. A family with an annual income of $75,000 or less pays nothing. 85% of students graduate debt free.President McInnis stated that Yale is committed to freedom of speech, a policy that was set forth in the Woodward Report 50 years ago. She noted that Yale is trying to teach students how to deal with difficult issues in a peaceful way.
One new question is whether Yale should take a position on political issues. A committee was created to study the issue and make recommendations. President McInnis has now adopted the recommendations of that committee. The general rule is that Yale University should not take a position on political issues, with two exceptions. The first exception is when the issue directly affects the university. The second exception is an issue of “transcendent importance.”
Below is a photo of President McInnis addressing the YAA.
Yale is making major investments in science and engineering. There is a lot of new construction on science hill. Some existing buildings on science hill are being converted to use geothermal energy. Yale is continuing its focus on climate change. Yale is investing $950 million in AI, including policy and ethics.The building which was previously called the Kline Biology Tower has been renamed simply the Kline Tower. The biology department has moved to a new building on science hill, and now the Kline Tower is shared by the Departments of Astronomy, Mathematics, and Statistics and Data Science. An extra story has been added on top. Below is a photo of the newly renovated Kline Tower.
The Peabody Museum has undergone a major renovation. It is now the most visited museum in the State of Connecticut. Some new bones have been discovered and added to the dinosaur. Also, further research has shown that there was no evidence of the dinosaur dragging its tail when footprints were studied, so now the dinosaur’s tail is elevated rather than dragging on the ground. Below is a photo of the newly renovated dinosaur.
The final event of the Assembly and Convocation is a dinner in what we used to call Commons, now known as the Schwarzman Center. The Yale Medal was awarded to five alums who have made major contributions to the university. Then at the end of the event, all recipients of the Yale Medal who were present were called to the stage for a group photo. If you look carefully, you will see that the distinguished gentleman on the front row left side of the group photo is our own Yale ‘65 classmate, Bruce Alexander. This was a fitting end to a very enjoyable two days at Yale.