Reports of President McInnis Webinars

President McInnis Webinar, May 13, 2026

President Maurie McInnis began this webinar emphasizing Yale’s Mission to create, disseminate and preserve knowledge through research and teaching with the exchange of ideas in ethical, independent, and diverse communities. She acknowledged that currently there has been a precipitous decline of respect for higher education, attributed to a preference for life skills, an emphasis on practical experience, and genuine scorn for intellectual elitism. As a result, she created The Committee on Trust in Higher Education, with twelve qualified faculty members, to study the decline and make recommendations to address it. After diligent analysis and consulting 300 sources, the committee has published a report with twenty proposals, including dealing with high tuition costs and the opacity of the admission process that are being studied for possible implementation. She was very impressed with the report and greatly appreciated the effort made to produce it. In addition, her concern for this important threat caused her to create two exciting, new websites: one would allow the alumni to comment on said report and to make suggestions and the other would make known to alumni in designated cities the specific medical, scientific, intellectual and cultural achievements developed or created in those cities by Yale’s faculty and/or of alumni. She urged the alumni to take this conundrum seriously and to speak to their neighbors and associates about the benefits of Yale education to themselves and to the nation. She considered Artificial Intelligence (AI) a bonus for its encyclopedic opportunities to relieve students of grunt work and was convinced the most challenging quality for teachers was to arouse in students a passion for creativity, which ultimately leads to joy. She ended this section by mentioning another way the alumni can help Yale was to make contribution to its capital fund drive in these final two months.

Regarding Woodbridge Hall, the President recognized its architectural integrity and its historical importance but the necessary improvements for accessibility would be too expensive in this period of financial pressure due to the current, burdensome endowment taxes. Not only have many mechanical repairs been postponed but personnel adjustments have had to be made. Over the past several years, the institutional staff has greatly grown. Attention is now being given to improving its efficiency. She claimed that many think Yale’s bountiful endowment is available for current expenditures but that is not the case: about 75% of it is limited to specific commitments, designated by donors. Only the balance is available for current allocations.

The President then introduced Steven Wilkinson, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, who reported that twenty-two professors were added to the faculty for the 2026-2027 school year. He described his efforts to keep the current staff satisfied and to add to it when necessary. He said he spends his time paying attention to the ills of salary inflation, promoting freedom of expression, and designing AI as a tool and not a distraction or a source of plagiarism. One of his major contributions was the expansion of the Statistics Department, established years ago before the many changes in the field. Enhancements were made to allow both undergraduate and graduate students to enroll in several inter-departmental courses, each tailored with the necessary vocabulary and scope. He concluded his remarks by announcing that the department was experimenting with an online graduate program. In answer to a question concerning the role of politics in the hiring process, he said political persuasions were of no concern.

Maurie McInnis ended her comments by mentioning that graduation and reunions were weeks away. At graduation new friends say goodbye; at reunions old friends say hello. She said she loved both events and was looking forward to them

May 18, 2026
William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA

President McInnis Webinar, February 19, 2026

President Maurie McInnis continued to demonstrate her characteristic ebullience as she announced several university changes: Michel H. Devoret, a Yale Professor of Applied Physics, had received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics; Christina M. Rodriguez, co-chair of the bipartisan Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, will be the new Dean of the Yale Law School; Tony Reno, the Coach of the Yale Football Team for 14 years, winning 5 Ivy League Championships, the first in 2017 was the first in 37 years, has resigned because of an illness; and David Brooks, a former opinion columnist for the New York Times, will be the inaugural Presidential Senior Fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Our President was thrilled to announce that the tuition would be waived for students of families earning less than $200,000 per year, which is the case with a few Yale graduate schools, and that all costs would be waived for students of families earning less than $100,000 per year. She went on to describe changes in the program for freshmen when lecturers and study groups have helped students break through the isolation rampant in the current polarized society with its declining trust in higher education, by stressing the important qualities of respect for those with different backgrounds and opinions and to better understand the benefits of diversity, humility, and curiosity. She mentioned efforts are being made to help students, addicted to social media, make friends. She was happy with the increasing interest on campus in political issues, especially with the robust Political Union, and with the variety of diverse speakers who were invited to give lectures across the political spectrum. The one area where politics plays no role is in the hiring of faculty members, for which academic qualifications are paramount.

McInnis maintained scientific research and experimentation at Yale was good for the nation and that were partly underwritten by federal grants through the 80-year-old partnership of Yale and the federal government, are now being dramatically reduced. As a result, she has spent a good deal of the time in Washington attempting to persuade members of Congress how essential they have been to Yale and to the world and that reductions should be restored. As a partial remedy Yale and the University of Connecticut have formed a partnership, entitled QuantumCT, to establish Connecticut as a center in quantum technology research, education, and economic development and is seeking a $160 million grant. The endowment tax law of 2017 will require Yale to pay a staggering tax of $300 million in the next federal tax year, that will have a dramatic effect on its budget. She reported that the lobbying that she and others conducted successfully defeated a Republican proposal in the House of Representatives to substantially increase such taxes. Yale’s endowment is enormous, but 75% of it is restricted to specific endeavors. If there are no changes to the law, she said she and her staff will have to shrink the faculty, especially in the humanities and social science, to admit fewer students and require them to pay full tuition, to terminate the summer programs for students, and to peel away nonessential expenses. It will also require her to approach the alumni for additional bequests.

In addition to budgetary matters, Artificial Intelligence has become a major source of administrative concern. At the Poorvu Center, a professional committee of faculty members and students is studying its ramifications: curriculums are being revised; encyclopedias are being digitized; professors are being taught; workshops are being made available. An AI Symposium took place with experts speaking in depth about various aspects of this monumental discovery. She went on to say the time saved with AI tools can now be used to foster teamwork among many disciplines, to help society through rapid technological change, and to shape a better future.

February 21, 2026
William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA

President McInnis Webinar, December 16, 2025

President Maurie McInnis conducted this webinar from The Poorvu Center with a guest, Doctor Nancy Brown, the Dean of the Yale Medical School. She began by praising the faculty and the students of the Center for the successful contribution made in teaching, learning, and sharing of information and resources, especially by studying how best to integrate artificial intelligence into the classroom and for recording many classroom lectures and posting them on YouTube which were seen by13 million people free of charge. She then addressed one of her most important concerns: the endowment tax of $300 million Yale paid this year and the reduction of Federal grants for indirect scientific costs, such as building maintenance, utilities, lab security, and salaries for essential clinical and laboratory services all of which would slow scientific progress, provide fewer jobs, and hinder economic growth. A task force recommended that these costs should not be generalized but applied to each area where research was being done to keep them safe and clean, a protocol that was accepted by other universities. She commented on her presentations to congressional staff offices of the university’s case, and strongly recommended that alumni, their families, and friends make phone calls to their respective Senators and Representatives opposing these measures, since elected officials paid great attention to the matters about which their constituents were concerned. On a brighter note, she was thrilled that each of three Yale professors had just received a Nobel Prize, that the Woman’s Crew had become the National Champion, that Varsity Football Team by defeating Harvard for the fourth consecutive year had become tied for the Ivy League Championship, and that several outstanding candidates were admitted to the faculty. She reported that Yale’s relationship with New Haven remained cordial with arrangements for paying the tuition for candidates for M.A. degrees if they agreed to teach in a city school for two years and with successful summer scholastic programs for high school students. In answer to a question from the audience about Yale being designated the “Happiest College”, she said while unaware of it was pleased and thought that was probably due to Yale’s indominable spirit, its sense of community, and its service for the common good.

Dean Brown began by announcing the addition of three outstanding physicians in data-science, biomedicine, and in radiology to the staff and then described the changed nature of medical education with less memorization and more investigation and participation with colleagues in various endeavors. In place of a final exam, students are required to write a thesis, which need not be on a medical issue. Since social media tends to push youngsters into solipsistic silos, the staff had to learn new methods to guide them to behavioral patterns for new age collaboration. She encouraged the cooperation between students and not the aggressive competition that exists in some medical schools. The reduction of federal funds for research caused financial gymnastics, and, therefore, she greatly appreciated the time and effort President McInnis has spent Washington to correct the imbalance. Though artificial intelligence has been available at the medical school for many years to assist physicians in diagnoses and remedies from a data bank of countless illnesses, it is currently being studied for further implementation to allow attention to new, rare illnesses and their possible treatment. She also emphasized the necessity of cooperation with other professionals, engineers, architects, social workers, carpenters in various programs, such as the building of affordable housing. Global warming is another crisis where creative minds with medical training are desperately needed. Listening is essential not only in treating a particular sickness but also in designing a program to correct a social malady.

Professionals should first listen to how those in need describe their problems. For example, by listening to communal leaders, the organizers designed a free clinic on Saturdays instead of the less effective plan they had drafted. She was very proud of the staff and the current students, not only of their individual expertise but also of their positive mental attitude in the current polarized and divisive social climate. For this reason, she was pleased that several musical students created an orchestra that regularly performs and that the school was on the Yale campus where its benefits were readily available. She concluded that her most important task as Dean was to be enthusiastic and to stimulate optimism in others.

December 20, 2025
William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA

President McInnis Webinar, February 18, 2025

President Maurie McInnis conducted her third webinar from a lounge in the newly renovated Humanities Quadrangle, the former Hall of Graduate Studies, where the 15 humanities departments now reside. She took the opportunity to passionately endorse the humanities for being crucial in our polarized country where false and inaccurate was easily disseminated and where America’s trust in higher education has become defunct. It was an edict that greatly concerned her, the breach in the partnership initiated by Vannevar Bush of federal funding grants for medical and scientific experimentation by American universities that gave us 75 years of enhanced quality of life and economic growth. Several days ago the National Institute of Health issued a notice that grants for indirect costs – building maintenance, utilities, lab security, and salaries for essential clinical and laboratory services – would be capped at 15% that would reduce by 75% the funds at the current rate set for Yale. The Yale endowment could not make up the difference as most of its funds are already committed to other projects. That minimum allotment puts the stipends at risk that reduce tuition costs for needy students. Curtailing such funding would slow scientific progress, would result in fewer jobs, would hinder economic growth, and would diminish U. S. global competitiveness. In addition to the law suit filed by The Association of American Universities in opposition to this proposal, the first of this kind in its history, Yale has joined with 22 other universities in a similar law suit. Also disturbing McInnis was the fear that the 2017 federal law requiring endowments to pay federal income taxes would be greatly increased: Yale paid a tax of $40 million last year. In answer to a question of what the alumni could do, she enthusiastically recommended they get their family and friends to flood respective Senators and Representatives offices with phone calls to overturn that plan, as voice is more effective than the written words of emails.

She commented on several undergraduate initiatives. The first was Yale’s agreement to current changes in NCAA rules that would allow Yale athletes to compete at a higher level, even though Yale’s admission criteria would not be changed: there would be no “hiring” of high school athletic stars. She then described the seminars that are available to help those students who have difficulty articulating positions and conversing with those who differ and to assist them in engaging respectfully with one another. Next, she reviewed the addition of a series of lectures by experts of different persuasions, such as a recent one by Josh Kun, a MacArthur Fellow, entitled “Listening to Lampedusa: Music, Migration, and the Mediterranean”. She called attention to the right allowing to students to vote on current topics, one of which had just materialized. The majority of the 50% of student body that voted opposed the Yale endowment fund from owning stock in companies that manufacture weapons. This result is being reviewed by a committee to determine if it can be submitted to the Yale Corporation. She also reported that the undergraduate classes will be increased by 100 students to a total of 1600 per year and that the facilities were available to handle the increase. Lastly, in her concern for the mental health of students, she identified the amenity in Silliman College called the Good Life Center where wellness rules, where it inspires and teaches and practices.

In answer to a question about security on the campus, McInnis described the preparations of the University Police to keep the campus safe by identifying the locations that might attract unruly occurrences and being ready to respond immediately if something of that sort happened there. In addition there is now another level of security provided by trained personnel in every college 24/7, who incidentally provided entry to 900 students who had lost or forgotten their keys last year. Furthermore, arrangements have been made with the New Haven Police Department to coordinate security in those areas where their jurisdictions overlapped. She did not mention any current demonstrations regarding the war in Gaza or any other issue. Indeed, the recent visit by Naftali Bennett, a former Israeli Prime Minister, to the Slifka Center for Jewish Life tool place without an incident.

February 21, 2025
William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA

President McInnis Webinar, December 4, 2024

President Maurie McInnis, in her second webinar, announced that plans were finalized to construct the David Geffen Drama School, a 200,000, a square foot building on the corner of Crown and York Streets, designed by Marianne McKenna, 76M.Arch, of KPMB architects, of Toronto, and that staffing is underway for the Engineering School, which she expects will result in higher rankings, as well as for the Artificial Intelligence Department to advance code and digital discovery, while at the same time, integrate what is now known into the current curriculum, so that Yale graduates would not enter a high wired world with only the language of their common majors.

Regarding undergraduates, she noted there was a shift in academic interest: Economics is now the most popular major, with only 25% of the students majoring in the Arts and Humanities. Yet, many hold in high regard Yale alumni for their experience, wisdom, advice, and mentoring capacity. Of great concern to McGinnis and to the faculty is the mental health of students, many of whom are addicted to divisive social media. She has two sons, a 21 year old and a 25 year old, and has spent a good deal of time trying to pry them from their cells phones. Excessive use of them in the competitive Yale community can result in an inability to make friends, and to study effectively. Thus, the deans and faculty are making efforts to mitigate this stress by installing counselors in the residential colleges who are immediately available to students and can refer students to psychiatrists, if necessary. In those cases when the best therapy is a leave-of-absence, a place is reserved for each upon returning.

Yale continues to be a good neighbor with the City of New Haven, making available free of charge the world, famous collections at the Yale Art Gallery, the British Art Museum, and the newly refurbished Peabody Museum, where discussions are held with New Haven school children. It has partnered with local colleges and with the State of Connecticut to enhance educational opportunities for public school students. In addition Yale offers high school education programs during the school year and in the summer and, since New Haven public schools are in need of 80 teachers, has underwritten the expenses of proposed teachers to obtain teaching degrees if they agree to teach in New Haven schools for three years after graduation, a program that has a goal of 100 new certified teachers.

The President described the palpable lack of respect for higher education by a huge portion of the population. Since the 2017 federal law allowed the federal government to tax endowments of universities, Yale has paid a nominal tax since then. She fears much higher endowment taxes will be necessary if personal income taxes are abolished, which has been advocated by influential politicians. In addition she worries that federal grants to Yale for medical and scientific purposes are at risk. Any combination will dramatically affect research, tuition subsidies, and building and maintenance programs. As a result the University has opened on office in Washington D. C. to increase esteem for higher education and to rally support, especially from Yale alumni, to oppose such tax and federal funding measures that would have a great impact negative on Yale’s mission.

Regarding the Report of the Committee on Institutional Voice, she described an event that might be of
“transcendental importance” that the Yale Board of Trustees could consider making a statement, such as an expression of sympathy to the surviving families for the death of Yale students and faculty members killed in a major 9-11 type attack.

In answer to a question if, after becoming President, she was surprised by anything: she said nothing surprised her, and as a Member of the Yale Board of Trustees she was well informed on the details of current projects and had no need to change anything.

December 8, 2024
William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA

President McInnis Webinar, September 17, 2024

President Maurie D. McInnis, Yale’s 24th President, began her first quarterly webinar with alumni saying she has done a great deal of listening in the past several weeks. She mentioned that both Yale and New Haven had greatly changed in the thirty plus years since she was here as a graduate student. Then, Yale lacked a scientific and engineering presence but has one now: The Science and Engineering School with a dean and 20 new faculty members. Not only does that make her happy, but it also will enable her to exercise a degree of experience as she was the former President of Stony Brook University including the Brookhaven National Laboratory, an institution with which Yale scientific departments have been in partnership for decades. In addition, there are two new departments in Artificial Intelligence and in Quantum Physics. Nevertheless, she insisted Yale’s commitment to support the Arts and Humanities remained as firm as it has ever been: the M.A. and the Ph.D. degrees she received from Yale were in the History of Art. She was able to announce plans for a new Drama Quadrangle, similar to the Humanities Quadrangle, bringing together the David Geffen Drama School, the Yale Rep, and the undergraduate facilities such the Dramat into one facility, which will be built where Chapel, Crown and York streets meet.

McInnis voiced several social concerns: (1) since undergraduates were highly competitive in academics, athletics and clubs, she was concerned many would ignore getting a good night’s sleep and maintaining a proper diet; good physical and mental health is important and there are facilities immediately available to help if trouble appears; (2) students should be able or learn to be able to talk to others who have different opinions and should respect each other; every attempt should be made to create a community of trust; (3) regarding political demonstrations, freedom of speech is essential, but students should know the guidelines for proper protests and for keeping the campus and classmates safe; (4) there are many discussion groups and visiting lecturers of all persuasions who come to Yale to speak;  Jewish and Muslim students are encouraged to attend them, as well as to engage with one another in peaceful dialogues; (5) regarding public statements, “Yale-Speak,” the recommendations from a committee, created to address when and how Yale should take and articulate public positions, are expected soon.

Yale is part of the City of New Haven and, as a good neighbor, has partnered with local colleges and with the State of Connecticut to enhance educational opportunities, has admitted 21 students this year from New Haven high schools, and has made available the world famous collections at the Peabody Museum, Yale Art Gallery, and British Art Museum free of charge.

She reported that the success of the university endowment fund allowed buildings to be constructed, maintained, refurbished under the highest geothermal standards, and provided $200 million in financial aid to students. For those whose families earn less than $75 thousand per year, there is no tuition. The Class of 2028 has just arrived from all parts of America with students from different nations, 25% of whom are eligible for a Pell Grant; 21% are the first of a family to attend college, and 54% identify themselves as a member of a particular minority group, a very diverse group within the recent Supreme Court ruling.

In answer to a question of why Family Weekend was earlier this year, she said there was a conflict with a religious holiday and would be later next year. She took the opportunity to report that she understood the importance of Family Weekends as one son has just graduated from college and another son is a sophomore.

Regarding the YAA, she praised the new Director, Allison Cole, and her effort to strengthen Yale’s relationship with the Yale Clubs, even by introducing current undergraduates to it, and has established an office in Washington, D. C.

September 18, 2024
Submitted by William H. H. Rees
Class of 1956 Representative to YAA