Category Archives: Uncategorized

I am sure people everywhere are sharing this graduation speech. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth sharing. I can relate to the story of regret George Saunders shares in his speech. As one of the commenters writes, everyone everywhere should be required to read this.

I am sitting in the “Program for Presidents and Board Members” at the Higher Learning Commission’s Annual Conference. Over 200 fellow presidents are listening to challenging and provocative presentations on the future of higher education. Terry Hartle from ACE told us that the goals of federal education policy are changing from access to access ANDContinue reading “Conferencing”

I attended the last of the American Council of Education’s Institute for New Presidents last Saturday. We covered a number of worthwhile topics. I found the one on social media valuable. President Ángel Cabrera of George Mason University shared how he uses Twitter to connect with faculty, staff, students and alumni. While I can’t hopeContinue reading “Follow Me”

I experienced multi-dimensional déjà vu this past Thursday as I joined the Wright team at the Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois, for our AQIP Strategy Forum. AQIP is the Academic Quality Improvement Plan pathway for accreditation Wilbur Wright College follows under the guidance of the Higher Learning Commission. The first dimension of vu came whenContinue reading “Same As It Ever Was”

“If you’ve got numbers, show ’em.” Stephan James, former Chief Operating Officer of Accenture, would offer this bon mot to partners at the firm to encourage us to showcase good results. Harold’s got numbers. I have reported here on our challenges in serving students well during registration. We had a humbling Fall experience with registration.Continue reading “Harold’s Got Numbers”

What do faculty members at HWC do in their spare time? Apparently, a number of them are making great art. One of the pleasures of my job is to have an art gallery immediately outside my HWC office. The current exhibition of HWC faculty art is not to be missed. Every two years, we showContinue reading “Spare Time”

The winter break was everything I had hoped it would be. A few friends have asked, “Did you snorkel?” “Did you take a helicopter ride?” “Did you parasail?” Other than enjoying tropical breezes, almost uninterrupted sun, and the occasional hike through gorgeous natural scenery in Hawai’i, I did not tackle adventure on this vacation. MyContinue reading “I Miss School”

One of our HWC Operating Plan priorities for FY2013 is Assessment. HWC has long had a strong culture of assessment. In our 2008 accreditation visit, HLC lauded HWC’s faculty-driven assessment processes. This year, I wanted to expand and improve our assessment capabilities. We are investing in faculty release time to take part on the Assessment Committee.Continue reading “Assessment”

Please donate. This morning, Sandy got personal. I spent many summers down the Jersey shore. My mother would ship me off to Sea Isle City to live with my grandparents for a few weeks in the summer. Our evenings were spent eating dinner, followed by saying the Rosary. Baba and Nana would alternate prayers, startingContinue reading “Down the Shore”

A friend recently asked if I write the entries on Don’s Desk by myself. I thought the quality of writing itself would attest to the lack of any editorial guidance. To remove any doubt, I write these entries by myself. In retrospect, many of the posts would benefit from a strong editorial hand. This week,Continue reading “For Better and Worse”