Dear Friends, Summer is a time for relaxation, renewal, and perhaps even a chance to learn something new or get out and about! This summer, we’re excited to feature a wonderful lineup of courses that offer a variety of escapes and explorations to enjoy as the weather warms. When I was growing up, summer movies were both inspiring and a compelling diversion, so I’m excited for Elliot Lavine’s journey through the enigmatic chapter of cult films in America, which will feature the works of several iconic directors, including two of the most memorable for me: Martin Scorsese and David Lynch. Stanford faculty member Michael McWilliams will teach a course, featured on our catalog cover, called “Earth: Revolutionary Ideas about Our Planet’s Past, Present, and Future,” which takes students on a journey through Earth’s origin and traces its evolution into a series of complex systems capable of sustaining life. If you fancy exotic loca- tions but can’t get there yourself, we invite you to join Patrick Hunt as he leads a tour of “Great Archaeological Discoveries: From the Rosetta Stone to Machu Picchu.” Truly the best part of summer for me, though, is spending as much time as possible with books. If you feel similarly, maybe Rebecca Richardson’s course on Jane Austen and her hallmark novels Emma, Persuasion, and Sanditon is the ticket. No matter your inclination, we hope you’ll find something within our digital catalog that piques your curiosity or interest. As I write this letter, I’m celebrating my first full year with the Continuing Studies team, and it’s been a both fabulous and challenging 12 months of hard work, camaraderie, planning, and discovery. We are not immune to forces in the larger economy these days, and post-Covid trends and infla- tionary pressures have impacted both our enrollments and our costs. As a result, we’ve been forced to think a little differently about how we evolve and grow. But every challenge is an opportunity, and we’re particularly looking forward to increasing our on-campus course offerings while continuing to meet the demands of our expanded online community. Since I’m a local here in the Bay Area and have the privilege to be frequently on campus, I often reflect on what a pleasure it is to connect in person with so many in the larger Continuing Studies family. Whether working closely with colleagues, welcoming students to our classrooms alongside instructors, or even joining online sessions, I’m reminded of how essential human connection really is during this increasingly digital age. We know many of you agree, and as we strive to develop a rich and compelling curric- ulum attuned to this moment, we’ll continue to ask you about your priorities, just as we did with our most recent survey in March. When I started this letter, I referenced themes of rest, renewal, and exploration, and we hope those truly are the orders of the day for you this summer. I will certainly be spending time outside with my family, buried in a book, or even on a trip or two. But if you have more of an inclination to be future-minded, and since summer is the season for baseball, I’ll close with a curveball and call your attention to two courses in our business section: Joslyn Johnson’s “What’s Next? Strategies for Identifying Your Ideal Career Path,” and “Designing Change: Learn to Lead Transitions in Any Organization,” with Christopher Ireland and Maria Giudice. Whether you’re looking for a new start or a new direction, sometimes the best time to plan for these eventualities is when you’re feeling more rested and a little less stretched. Wherever the summer months take you, we hope you find something stimulating or diverting to enjoy in our lineup, and we wish you the very best. nat e bosw e ll Assistant Dean Letter from the Assistant Dean S T A N F O R D C O N T I N U I N G S T U D I E S S T A N F O R D C O N T I N U I N G S T U D I E S 2