To Our Alumnae Community,

One of my greatest joys as Dean of Douglass has been learning about and getting to know our wonderful alumnae. I have met hundreds of you, learned about your lives and dreams, and shared the many wonders of Douglass today. Your reflections on your college years, the deep friendships you generated at Douglass, and your curiosity about the College today have fueled many fulfilling days and hours over my last twelve years as Dean.
 
I am stepping down as Dean, effective June 30, and am sending this farewell letter to update you on Douglass’ success, to offer clarification about alumnae involvement in the College, and to explain how fundraising works at Douglass.
 
Alumnae are treasures for Douglass. You are our great supporters and champions. Your challenging questions make us better. Your involvement with students ranges from mentoring, hosting students at your workplace, providing funding for student research, speaking to groups of students at our conferences and classes, and much more. Now that we are back in-person, we return to the powerful Douglass lectures and conferences which many of you have attended in person or watched online. If you have not already, I urge you to get involved no matter where you live. You will be moved and rewarded by your time spent with this generation of Douglass women.
 
Many of our programs and activities depend on alumnae participation for success. The Christiana Foglio DC’84 Career Conference includes dozens of alumnae speakers who speak annually to and network with current students about career development. For years, Dr. Susan Martin DC’68 has taught our students about migration and refugees around the globe and will sit on Rutgers University’s Board of Trustees beginning in July. Alumnae artists engage students in the Gender and Arts program. This past year, Dr. Pamela Brug DC’84 led a cohort of public health students in a research project exploring maternal fetal outcomes for Black women in Central NJ. They presented their findings at the first annual Douglass Day. Alumnae regularly host students for one- to two-week job shadowing externship experiences – both in person and virtually – while others host students in summer or semester-long internships. These are only some examples of alumnae involvement and impact. There is room for all alumnae in the education of our students.
 
Douglass College has a strong and active alumnae advisory board that supports Douglass’ programs (including a student-alumnae committee), fundraising and offers advice to the Dean on matters of expansion and change. Board members are interested in hearing from you, learning your interests, and finding ways to involve you in alumnae or college matters. Please contact drcadvancement@echo.rutgers.edu with any questions.

And lastly, alumnae support the College financially. It is clear from my recent conversations with alumnae, however, that confusion remains about how and where to donate to support the College. The only way to give directly to the students and to Douglass College is to give directly to Douglass/Rutgers. Douglass College solicits funds for its students. Douglass does so through the support of the Rutgers University Foundation which provides all accounting and other operational supports. Funds given to Douglass are processed by the Foundation and will be sent immediately and transparently to the College to be used to support College programs and Douglass students.
 
I am justifiably proud of those programs, and of the thousands of current and former students that have come through Douglass during my past 12 years as Dean. As I mentioned, I will be stepping down as Dean on June 30, 2022. While the transition is bittersweet (as many are), I am looking forward to getting back to my research and to returning to the classroom after a year’s sabbatical. I hope you will stay in touch with Douglass and with the interim Dean Meghan Rehbein.

Wishing you a happy and healthy summer and fall.

Warmly,
 

Jacquelyn Litt, Ph.D.

Dean, Douglass College and Douglass Campus
Professor, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies
and Sociology
Rutgers University-New Brunswick