IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE BIGGEST DECISION the board at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School made was selling our historic campus and relocating within our city. The move allowed us to align our mission and vision more closely with our location.

Like many institutions across the country, we have experienced a shift among our students: more commuters and more taking a partial load. We do not need a large building to fulfill our mission. And our new building has technology that permits new teaching and learning modalities, positioning us for whatever modes become the norm in the future.

How did we do it? Our board made governance and fiduciary decisions and passed them on to the seminary’s executive team to make them a reality.

The result is a renewed interest in our school. The move to a more cental location has made a statement that we are a seminary of and for the community. It is exciting to see how we will deepen our relationships in the post-pandemic world.

Rev. Dr. Michael Ford is chair of the board of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.