January 2007 Presidential Update

I write this a few days prior to January 1 since I will still be on vacation for a few more days and then attending the national presidents meeting of the Council of Independent Colleges before returning to the office January 10.

In early December several others and I from EMU attended the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the regional accrediting association by which EMU is accredited as an institution. It was a good opportunity to gain information concerning the expectations of accrediting agencies; clearly the national mood is to strengthen accountability and assessment in higher education.

We heard several stimulating speakers including Stephen Carter of Yale Law School (author of Civility and Integrity, among other books; Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor and author of Confidence (plus numerous other books); Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, author of The Future of Success: Living and Working in a New Economy. We also heard a fascinating plenary speech by a futurist (whose name I don't have in front of me) who made the case that the current overabundance of choices (more than 11,000 different MP3 devices, for example) actually causes as much or more psychological distress for consumers than does a shortage of choices.

Reich was hilariously funny when he spoke to the college presidents. He is 4'6" tall and began by telling us that "serving in the President's Cabinet just wore me down. I was 6'2" when I began my service as Secretary of Labor." To illustrate his point that the economy is indeed global, he shared the story of his new artificial hips, which he assured us are quite "beautiful." They were designed in France, manufactured in Germany and "installed" in Boston. While he was serving in the Cabinet, he was researching the purchase of a new car, focusing on a Honda which had strong ratings. His assistant reminded him that he was Secretary of Labor in the United States, so he went to a Ford dealer, only to face the reality that the Honda was being built in a U.S. plant and much of the Ford parts were being built/supplied from international sources! Reich also suggested that jobs don't "go elsewhere" primarily because of cheaper labor; they go to where the expertise is located (here he underscored the necessity of better education) or where someone is willing to do the work. It is ironic that some in the U.S. still dream of isolation from the larger world.

Immediately following the SACS meeting I joined the other presidents of Mennonite colleges and seminaries for two days in Kansas City. Among other agenda, we shared stories of how Mennonite schools are supporting the missional effort of the denomination; I had been asked to write an article on this topic for The Mennonite which will appear in late January.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the numerous positive responses we have received to the column I wrote in the fall issue of EMU's Crossroads magazine, "Liberal or Conservative?" I continue to believe strongly that we in the Anabaptist theological tradition have much to offer the larger world, and that we also have much to learn from other traditions. It will be reprinted in a future issue of the Canadian Mennonite.

Dr. Daniel Suter, retired professor of biology and pre-med advisor, passed away on Christmas Eve. Some months ago he told Sam Weaver and me the story that after completing his Ph.D. at the Medical College of Virginia he was offered a faculty position there with a salary that would have been three times what EMU had paid him. He felt compelled to return to EMU because, "I believed that's where the Lord wanted me to be." I asked if he had any regrets. His response was, "No, not really, though it was difficult at times. I'm grateful when I think about more 300 physicians, dentists, and other health care workers who are serving all over the world, that I helped to train."

Most mornings I read three newspapers-the local Daily News Record, the Richmond Times-Dispatch (particularly during the state legislative sessions), and the Washington Post. People who travel with me have learned that if I can start the day with a good cup of coffee and a good national/international newspaper (USA Today doesn't quite qualify!) I am ready to "hit the road." For some years I had a Starbucks "locator" program on my cell phone but I now know where they are located in the areas where I travel most frequently! One of the most interesting news articles I read during the holidays was a story about how the writing habits of instant messaging are impacting the way young adults are writing papers in high school and college. I'd be interested to hear from professors how much of this you have observed in recent years.

Some of you may have watched the NBC documentary by Tom Brokaw on immigration issues, particularly as they have impacted one county in Colorado. As was asserted by Robert Reich, the questions are far more complex than many pundits and talk-show hosts would have us believe. As is the case with many issues, we have a responsibility to resist overly simplistic answers.

On a personal note, Pat and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve. Among other celebrations with members of our family, we "attended" a concert by Paul McCartney-watching a DVD of his 30-city tour of the U.S. in 2005. Interesting (and sobering) how the history (and song lyrics) of the 1960s seems all too relevant to the current times.

As we enter into a New Year together, I invite us to experience God's presence in our lives individually and God's grace for us corporately. May all of us be agents of God's healing and hope in our broken world!

I pray for safe travels for all returning to campus for the second semester.

Books I'm currently reading: Confidence by Kanter; Beyond the Big Test: Noncognitive Assessment in Higher Education by William E. Sedlacek; The Future of Success by Reich.

Blessings, Loren

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