In addition to these two major items of co-op and retention, we plan to spend some time this year putting in place other pieces of this academic puzzle of distinction. The academic common experience project, which attempts to develop common skills, values and awareness for every undergraduate student, holds the secrets for us to creating a common platform upon which we build our academic vision of distinction. If we can earnestly and boldly say to the world that our students leave here with the knowledge, life skills and perspectives that the 21st century demands, then the world will beat a path to our door. Adult and continuing education is another piece of this puzzle that we will examine this year. Our concerns must no longer be just its revenue enhancing potential.
Education is a continuum that has an end which no one ever reaches.
The university that can address those educational needs in a creative, high quality way, that is closely coordinated with its center of academic strengths, will really stand out. One of my greatest fears when you start steering an institution down a road to academic greatness is the tendency to narrowly define that greatness. The greatness we pursue cannot be measured in numbers alone. Our quest as educators must always embrace the hypothesis that the numbers are wrong. This institution's historical commitment to access must be a special part of this academic vision of distinction.