By Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Staff Writer

On Sept. 23, at the first Mount Holyoke senate meeting of the 2025-2026 academic year, Dr. Marcella Runell, vice president of Student Life and dean of students, came to talk about her work and spark excitement for what is to come this semester at the Division of Student Life.

The meeting began with a welcome from Cordelia “Coco” Athas ’26, the chair of Senate, who gave the new and returning senators an amiable welcome to the first senate of the year. The group went over the standard flow of Senate gatherings, and it was announced that President Danielle Holley will be next week’s guest speaker for the Senate’s Town Hall. Athas also shared that Town Halls will be more condensed going forward, with emphasis on only asking “relevant and respectful questions” to keep time from going over. Then, Runell was introduced to speak in a sort of mini-town hall, where she was asked to share what she does at Mount Holyoke College’s Division of Student Life, and answer questions.

Athas started by asking Runell, “What is your role at Mount Holyoke College?”

Runell brought up the weekly “Dean’s Corner" emails which are sent out to the student body every Friday, as she felt that they “really encapsulates” what her job is.

As a leader in Student Life at Mount Holyoke, Runell plays a key role in facilitating the day to day experience of students, and creating a more positive and inclusive community. The Dean’s Corner Newsletter provides direct links to various resources and upcoming calendar events, along with highlighting moments in the community via photo collages. In her own words, Runell described her role as being about “communicating between and among all the different stakeholders on campus that are responsible for the student experience,” as well as community building with students directly.

Later, Athas asked what Runell feels students should know about the College’s MHC Forward Strategic Plan. Starting by providing context on this plan’s importance, Runell commented, “There are so many things that were in the last strategic plan that have radically changed Mount Holyoke.” She specifically highlighted the expansion of Blanchard Hall’s Community Center and its centralized dining in 2018, saying that, “It’s hard to imagine where we would be if that hadn’t been the vision in that last plan,” and, “There was no space for students to all be together except for the library.”

Runell then listed some of the College’s divisions that will undergo changes with the current strategic plan, adding that many of these decisions came directly from student feedback about what they wanted to see in the future. The three major areas that Runell mentions will be touched upon in the current Strategic Plan are supporting students’ career development, providing better “residential education” for students, and the new Mount Holyoke Commitment to financial affordability.

During the Q&A portion of the Town Hall, one student asked about the decision to move Disability Services from the Office of Academic Deans to the Division of Student Life. Runell first stated that it is standard among most higher-ed institutions to have such services “report into Student Affairs or Student Life, because accommodations are not just academic.”

She further explained, “In an ideal scenario, we would really be thinking about the whole student experience in terms of accommodations … That’s one of the reasons [Disability Services] sit in Student Affairs, because it is meant to be broad and encompassing.”

Runnell also addressed the aspect of the physical space where Disability Services is currently located, asking herself aloud, “Can we find a better space than the third floor of Mary Lyon Hall, which is not one of the most accessible places on campus.” She immediately answered her own question, stating,, “We have Student Life spaces all over campus,” solidifying the advantages of rehoming Disability Services to reside under the Division of Student Life.

To wrap up, Athas asked Runell, “In your opinion, is Bigfoot real?”

Runell’s response was, “I’m gonna say there’s a good chance.” Ending with casual chat amongst the two on stage, and plenty of laughter from the senators in the crowd, the first Senate of the year concluded at just under 40 minutes.

Fact checked by Madeleine Diesl.