Newspaper Columns
Office of the President

Real World Problems are not Disciplined Based
Dr. Gerald E. Wood, Ed.D. President
(Published in The Crescent-News, February 10, 2008)

What should be the primary purpose of a college or university today?  I suggest first and foremost the purpose should be to prepare students for the challenges they will face in the twenty-first century.  However, how that preparation is done presents faculty, administrators, trustees, legislators with an incredibly complex challenge.  In fact, given the traditional structures of colleges and universities and the new emphasis on close scrutiny and accountability from the point of view of divergent sources outside of higher education, for many skeptics it is a Herculean task. 

An institution of higher education whether it be a small liberal arts centered institution, a community college or a university, must with the greatest of intentionality develop the academic program,  student life, and all other aspects of the college by first addressing how we can best prepare students for the challenges of the time in which they live. 
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