programming such as the annual Black Alumni Homecoming. Our engagement with alumni has increased through social media, strategic communications, and the redesigned The Advocate. Our newly dedicated WCL Alumni Judges’ Gallery exemplifies our expanded recognition of our alumni’s many successes and accomplishments.
In financial resources and sustainability we have exceeded expectations. Upon my arrival in 2021, WCL faced a severe structural deficit. Undaunted, we adopted a new budget model and infrastructure, implemented internal controls, and, for the first time in 25 years, renegotiated our fiscal relationship with the university. I am thrilled to say that we have outperformed our budget projections for three consecutive fiscal years, transforming a significant structural deficit into a projected operating surplus in only two years—a full year ahead of schedule under the plan.
Advancement efforts have also thrived, with increases in donors, giſts, giſt amounts, and donor retention. We have met or exceeded our fiscal year goals for dollars raised for three straight years, and have seen historic levels of support for the Dean’s Fund. In the university’s recently concluded $500 million Change Can’t Wait campaign, WCL surpassed its $21 million goal by more than $10 million, with more than $16 million raised in just the last three years, a testament to the loyalty and commitment of our dedicated alumni and donors, whose generosity has made much of the success described in this letter possible.
As I depart WCL for my next chapter at Howard University School of Law, I am excited about the opportunities for collaboration between these great institutions, separated by only a mile. Aſter all, one of WCL’s founders, former Dean Emma Gillett, earned her two law degrees from Howard in 1882 and 1883. Also, when WCL began admitting African Americans beginning in the 1950s, the first African American man, James Taylor, and the first African American woman, Thelma Harris Worrell, to graduate from WCL both had earned their undergraduate degrees at Howard. With a former WCL dean at the helm of Howard Law, promising partnerships lie ahead.
I do not say farewell, but see you again soon. Thank you for the immense privilege of leading this outstanding institution. I wish WCL all the best as it builds on recent successes, charts new strategic objectives, and reaches even greater heights. I will be rooting for you every step of the way. Champion What Matters!
With gratitude,
Heather Hughes Appointed Interim Dean of AUWCL
AUWCL has appointed Heather Hughes as the new interim dean, effective July 1. Hughes, previously the senior associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, succeeds Dean Roger A. Fairfax Jr.
Since joining AUWCL in 2007, Hughes has excelled as both an educator and a scholar, teaching commercial, business,
and property law. She has received numerous accolades, including the AUWCL Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019 and the Edwin A. Mooers Scholar Award in 2017. Her research on emerging technologies and the legal profession highlights her as a forward- thinking leader.
Hughes’s background includes practicing in the business department at Morrison & Foerster LLP and serving as a founding faculty member at FIU College of Law.
“It is a tremendous honor to lead AUWCL through its 125th anniversary,” Hughes said. “Law schools are indispensable stewards of the rule of law. Our school has a special relationship to democracy, since women founded the Washington College of Law during the fight for suffrage.”
Hughes aims to foster a curious, forward-looking community at AUWCL and enhance alumni outreach, recognizing the important role alumni play with their diverse perspectives. She also plans to strategically leverage resources to ensure the law school thrives as a center of knowledge and professional formation.
“Dean Hughes has been a splendid partner in her service as senior associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, and I wish her all the best as she leads AUWCL in the coming year,” Dean Fairfax said. “I also look forward to working with her within the law school dean community in the District of Columbia and nationally.”
Reflecting on her achievements, Hughes emphasized the importance of understanding and nurturing student talent. She praised the faculty’s dedication to cultivating students’ abilities and their willingness to innovate.
ROGER A. FAIRFAX JR. Dean and Professor of Law American University Washington College of Law
“Our scholarly publications deepen expertise and enable impact around the most important issues in our fields,” Hughes said.
As she steps into her new role, Hughes aspires to embody the warmth, compassion, and ambition demonstrated by Dean Fairfax.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 3
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