b'WELCOME!On behalf of the Board of Directors and the conference planning committee, I welcome you to the 2020 CCAS Annual Meeting.The Council of Colleges of Arts & Sciences was founded in 1965to network and support deans in colleges and schools of arts and sciences. Over the past 55 years the Council has remained true to our mission of connecting deans with each other, providing pro-fessional development, serving as a forum for discussing issues in higher education, and advocating for the liberal arts.The 2020 Annual Meeting theme is Empowering Deans inTurbulent Times. Initially envisioned as a lens through which to address the political polarization of the day, our focus now will be expanded to address the dual crises of racism and COVID-19. The program will feature a variety of offerings including skills-based workshops, panel presentations, and open sessions for addressing emergent topics. We will enjoy our time together at an off-site reception Thursday evening at the historic Antones Night Club, featuring jazz and barbecue in Texas tradition. I want to thank the members of the conference planning committee for their efforts in putting together the program for this meeting. I also want to express my gratitude to our plenary speakers David A. Ortiz, Senior Vice President for Operations, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and Matthew C. Moen, former Gettysburg Foundation President and CEO. I hope to see you in Austin where we will reconnect as friends and colleagues in support of one another as we explore strategies and skills for Empowering Deans in Turbulent Times. We are pleased to be able to introduce our plenary and concurrent sessions in a live and archived virtual format for all attendees. For those of you un-able to make this years journey to the CCAS Annual Meeting, you now have an option to register for virtual participation.Jonathan MillenDean, College of Arts & SciencesUniversity of New EnglandCCAS President-ElectCCAS 20201'