Presidential Perspective: the Blog of Nazareth College's Daan Braveman

Presidential Perspective: the Blog of Nazareth College's Daan Braveman

Welcome to the blog of President Daan Braveman, Nazareth College's ninth president.  Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a co-ed college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences, and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,800 students. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.

Moving In to the Next Phase

This week our first-year students move into the residence halls and begin their college careers. I confess that I have mixed emotions on move in day, as I help parents and students transport more “stuff” than will ever fit into those rooms. It is wonderful and exciting to see the new group of students, knowing they are beginning what many rate as among the best years of their lives. At the same time, as I watch parents and students wander around campus waiting to say good-bye, I am reminded how sad I was when my wife and I dropped our own son at college. We parents always want our children to spread their wings and take flight on their own. A piece of us, however, would like to keep them safe in the nest. To be sure, there have likely been some moments this past summer when parents have eagerly looked forward to departure day. Nevertheless, it is still difficult.

So, I have some guidance for parents. I can assure you that your child is not really leaving and that you still will be very much a part of his or her life. There is still the obvious connection— the call when additional spending money is needed or the trip home with a trunk load of wash – but something else will happen as well. Even though our son started college a number of years ago, I can still remember the day in September when he called, quite excited to tell us about a discussion he had in one of his classes, how much he enjoyed his courses, and how much fun he was having meeting new people in his dorm and on his baseball team.

What began that day was one of the most rewarding things as parents: we saw the beginning of our son’s transformation from a teenager to an adult. You too will be part of, and a witness to, this transformation in your own child. And you will feel a tremendous sense of pride and pleasure as your child spreads his or her wings, away from the nest.

Braveman Featured in Rochester Business Journal

President Braveman was featured in the "Q4" section this week's Rochester Business Journal, talking about Nazareth College being added to the Princeton Review's "Best 368 Colleges." Read on to see what he had to say.

RBJ: Nazareth College was one of four in the nation to be added to The Princeton Review’s 2009 edition of The Best 368 Colleges. What does that accomplishment mean for the school?

Braveman: It is a wonderful accomplishment for the school and it is extremely gratifying to be one of four schools in the country selected for addition. It confirms what many of us have known for a long time – this is a great school that provides a great education and prepares you for a great career. You only have to look at the numbers – in a recent survey 91% of our alumni said they would choose Nazareth again if they had it to do all over. 93% of our undergraduates are either employed or in enrolled in graduate school within one year of graduation and 88% of our graduate students are employed within a year of graduation. What I am especially proud of is that is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff who make this College the extraordinary place it is.

RBJ: Is there importance that The Princeton Review uses results from student surveys to determine what schools make the list?

Braveman:  think that’s what makes the Princeton Review such a valued college guide – the rankings come from the student themselves – they are the ones who can speak most honestly about their experience here. While we are passionately committed to ensuring that our students have the highest quality educational experience, it is very satisfying and rewarding to see that they recognize and appreciate that commitment. Our overall student satisfaction is reflected in other ways as well. We have high retention rates which means our students stay here – we don’t have a lot of students transferring to other schools which is a big problem for some colleges. And the vast majority of our students complete their studies in a shorter time than many other schools. The regional six-year graduation rate is 62 percent, our rate is 72 percent.

RBJ: What insight did you get from the student comments included in the review?

Braveman: There were many important insights but there are several that really resonated with me. The students stressed the high quality of teaching and the commitment to the students' success. As one student summarized, "Professors care about how you are doing." Also, the students mentioned that the academic program is challenging. An English literature major captured it well: "I would say that our academic program is rigorous but not mental-illness producing. I count this as a strength." The students commented that the administrative staff is student-centered, which also contributes to overall student success. And finally, they pointed out that the campus is "gorgeous" and located in the safe and beautiful area of Pittsford – anyone who has visited our campus knows how beautiful it is.

RBJ: In a separate list of theater programs on campus, Nazareth ranked No. 9. What can you say about Nazareth’s commitment to its arts program, especially in light of ongoing renovations to the Arts Center?

Braveman:  It is thrilling to be ranked ninth on a top-20 list of theater programs, especially with schools that have an outstanding reputation for theater like Yale, Vassar, and Carnegie Mellon, among others. This high ranking not only reflects the quality of our academic programs in the performing and visual arts, but also the fact that these programs have grown tremendously in the last few years and have become much more competitive. I am pleased that many students in these programs not only enrich our lives through their creative work but many enter jobs that serve the community as well, such as art and music education and creative arts therapy. In addition, nearly 75,000 people a year attend the wonderful programming we offer at the Arts Center, including over 20,000 children in the region. As most of your readers know, it’s a very exciting time at the Arts Center, as we are move forward with our renovations which will allow us to expand and enhance our program offerings and establish a summer dance festival. Construction will start in the next several weeks with a grand re-opening scheduled for September 2009. In the meantime, we will hold our 2008-09 season in alternative venues during the renovations.

Across Cultures and Borders

This summer our campus is converted into a truly international College. We have four international programs that have brought together 115 students and faculty from around the world. On any day, you can find people from Turkey, Hungary, France, Italy, Poland, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Ukraine, and South Korea walking to classes and enjoying campus life at Nazareth.

Students in the various programs live together, study together, and socialize together. They interact with our own students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the Rochester community. Recently, our faculty and staff hosted 20 Turkish students in their homes for a weekend. Dr. George Eisen, our Director of the Center for International Programs, hosts dinners at his home and on campus throughout the summer.

This past Sunday, we held an International Evening at the College, which was attended by over 270 people, including the international students, members of the Nazareth community, and representatives from ethnic organizations in Rochester. Students from the various countries served ethnic food and performed dances and songs. It was an extraordinary evening, demonstrating not only our cultural differences but our commonalities as well.

As I ate the delicious food, watched the performances, and even danced the ethnic dances, I again was reminded of the importance of international educational programs. They are essential to promote understanding and friendship across cultures and borders. We live in a time when cultural differences too often are used as a basis for division and conflict. Cultural differences instead should be seen as a source of great strength. On the recent beautiful summer night when we celebrated our many cultural heritages, that strength was apparent to all.

Nazareth Veterans Scholarship

As you may have read, the federal government just passed a new law that significantly increases educational benefits for our veterans. This new law is long overdue. When the G.I. bill was first enacted over 60 years ago it provided sufficient educational benefits to allow veterans to get a free education. In the past decades, however, the benefits did not keep pace with the rising costs of a college education. Under the leadership of Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, the so-called “new G.I. Bill” is changing all this. Under the new law, veterans will be able to get the kind of education that will enable them to build a future.

Whatever one’s view of the current war, it is clear that the men and women who serve the country deserve the opportunity to return to productive civilian lives after they leave the military. To build those lives, our veterans need a solid college education. Nazareth wants to play its role and has created the Nazareth Veterans Scholarship. We will provide up to $7500 a year for up to 4 years, or a total of $30,000, to any honorably discharged veteran who served in active duty since September 11, 2001, and attends Nazareth as an undergraduate student. When matched with available governmental funds this will enable many veterans to attend Nazareth free of any tuition charges.

Those who take advantage of the scholarship program also will have the advantage of a Nazareth education -- one that provides a strong liberal arts base with professional education in highly employable fields like nursing, physical therapy, other health and human services fields, teaching and business.

This financial support is part of our larger efforts on behalf of veterans. Our School of Health and Human Services is working closely with the local Veteran’s Outreach Center to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services to area veterans, and our School of Management is working with a local veterans business organization.

At Nazareth we ask our students to make a difference in the lives of others. As an institution we should walk this talk as well, setting an example for our students. We hope this Veterans Scholarship program as well as our other activities on behalf of veterans sets an example, making a difference in the lives of our veterans.

For more information on the Nazareth Veterans Scholarship, please visit the Veterans Scholarship web page.

Off-Campus Learning

At Nazareth we believe that off-campus learning is a vital part of the educational process. This type of learning includes internships, field placements, student teaching, service learning, and clinical work.

Off-campus learning creates opportunities to integrate theory and practice, connecting the academic with the real world. I like a quote that has been attributed to Ben Franklin: “Tell me, I forget. Teach me, I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” Internships and other forms of off-campus experiences “involve” the students, emphasizing active learning through which students discover how the material they are reading in the books is applied in the world around them. This kind of active learning helps students develop a deeper understanding of both the material and its practical applications. It also allows students to think creatively about real-world changes that could be made to improve the quality of life for those being served.

Off-campus learning also serves the greater community. Our School of Health and Human Services, for example, has partnerships with 20 local agencies through which we provide services to over 3000 individuals. Students in our inclusive education program operate site-based programs in the Rochester public schools. Students in our English program run a literacy project in the local jail. Social work students partner with neighborhood centers to offer programs for area residents. Other students work with residents in senior living centers, assisting them in writing their autobiographies. Faculty, staff and students provide tutoring services through the Hillside Work Scholarship Program and for others in the Rochester Schools.

These are just a few examples of the many off-campus learning experiences of which we are so proud, and I am pleased to report that 80% of Nazareth’s class of 2008 participated in some form of off-campus learning.