WILLIAM HENRY KIEFFER, III

"I believe the Monterey Institute of International Studies to be an exceptional graduate school, uniquely poised to prepare students to become leaders in the international arena. I believe that the affiliation of the Monterey Institute and Middlebury College is an opportunity for our two institutions, together, to make a powerful difference in the world.

"As we head toward the integration of these two schools, thereby uniting complementary missions yet separate and distinct educational opportunities for our students, we readily acknowledge that there is no academic model to follow, little groundwork on which to set the path we will travel. So we are in the process of creating our own model, setting our own cornerstones, confident that our combined vision and experience will yield an outcome others will one-day follow.

"The architecture of our new landscape takes time. During the first year and a half since our affiliation was finalized, significant progress has been achieved in clarifying and understanding the benefits of our partnership. Now, we will take the time to realize those benefits, by creating a solid foundation on which to build an integrated yet individually autonomous dynamic between the two schools.

"During the next five years, our vision must be focused on how we can position ourselves to deliver an outstanding product to our students, a product that serves a multitude of needs and expectations, yet is unique to the marketplace, a product that will distinguish us from other exceptional institutions of higher learning.

"Our goal is to secure the independence of the Monterey Institute in terms of academic curriculum, pedagogy, and reputation, while making it an integral part of the Middlebury College legacy. Our intent is to work with the experienced members of our joint task force-the presidents and vice presidents, chair persons and directors, trustees and liaisons-taking a team approach to the implementation of our plan.

"If you study Middlebury’s strategic plan, it includes the Monterey Institute, and Monterey’s new strategic plan involves Middlebury. The theme of Middlebury’s plan is "Knowledge without Boundaries," and that truly applies to the Monterey affiliation. We are headed into a whole new realm of wide-ranging opportunities, and we’re committed to going there together, relying on the synergies that can be created between undergraduate and graduate education-including the Middlebury Language Schools, Schools Abroad, and Bread Loaf Schools, our Peace Corps Master’s International program and International Professional Service Semester-where both institutions demonstrate a global focus.

"This is what we envisioned when we began working together on this integration. Now we’re taking that next step toward implementation."