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.

A College Degree Continues to Have Great Value

The pundits are at it again. We are hearing discussion among some who question whether a college degree is worthwhile. As a college president I am obviously biased, but I believe the facts clearly demonstrate the value of a college education.

To be sure, the recent economic challenges have made it more difficult for some recent college graduates to find employment. Nevertheless, the evidence is clear. Over a lifetime, a college degree pays off. A recent study by the Center on Education and the Workforce reported that an individual with a high school diploma can expect to earn $1.3 million over a lifetime while a person with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn $2.3 million, a 76% increase. Similarly, the lifetime earnings increase substantially for those with a master’s degree or a doctoral degree or a professional degree.

With respect to current unemployment statistics, it is equally clear that the rates are much lower for those with a college education. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last month that the unemployment rate for those with only a high school diploma was 9.6%, more than double the unemployment rate (4.4%) for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Even more disturbing, those who question the value of a college education ignore the societal benefits of having a well-educated citizenry. Do the pundits really believe, for example, that a less educated workforce would enhance the ability of the U.S. to compete in global markets?  As I mentioned two years ago in discussing this topic, the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities summed up the societal benefits: “[W]e all benefit from the higher tax revenues, the lower demands on social programs, and the higher productivity generated by the highly educated. Investments in higher education benefit all of society through service to communities, healthier citizens who live longer lives, regional economic growth, and innovations in science and technology.” 

Besides the economic and societal benefits, a college education has personal value as well. It leads to personal growth and development, giving students the skills and understandings to enable them to live fully informed and actively engaged lives.

I believe the recent discussion has focused attention on the wrong question. The question is not whether one should get a college degree (I suspect that most of those questioning the value of a college degree have encouraged their own children to attend college), rather on how to select the right college to obtain the degree.

In selecting a college, students and parents should consider such factors as: (a) kinds of academic programs; (b) actual cost, which takes into consideration the amount of institutional financial aid provided by the school; (3) retention rates; (4) graduation rates; (5) close connections between students and faculty; (6) opportunities for internships, experiential learning, research, international experiences, and community service; (7) safety; (8) intangibles (e.g., sense of community); (9) student loan default rates; and (10) employment and graduate schools for recent graduates. 

To me it seems clear that rather than looking for reasons not to attend college, we should be working together to ensure both access to higher education and successful completion of a college education. 

Need for Science and Math Graduates

I read with interest a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education titled, “High Demand for Science Graduates Enables Them to Pick Their Jobs, Report Says.” The article discussed a recent study, which revealed that graduates who major in science are in high demand in a variety of jobs. It noted that graduates with a bachelor's degree in a science major earn greater salaries than those with a master's degree in non-science majors. Forty-seven percent of graduates with a bachelor’s degree in a science field earn more than even those with a doctorate in other fields.

Other studies have stressed the national need for more students who are trained in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. A few years ago, the National Academies of Sciences wrote a report called, “The Gathering Storm” which found that the U.S. must produce more students interested in these fields in order to remain competitive in the global economy. It noted that innovation is the prerequisite for developing the new ideas that will produce jobs in the future. Such innovation requires more people trained in math and science. This, however, is where the crisis emerges. We, in the U.S., are falling behind other countries in producing individuals with skills in those fields.

Our new Integrated Center for Math and Science, which will open in fall of 2012, will be the finest facility in the region for preparing students in the fields of science and math. The Center will include labs and classrooms with the latest equipment and technology. A distinguishing feature of the Center is the range of spaces that will enable us to expand opportunities for undergraduate students to work with faculty members on exciting  research projects. These projects will stress interdisciplinary and collaborative learning, allowing students to develop an appreciation for both the theoretical and the practical application of science and math.

Nazareth is pleased that it will take a leadership role in the region for offering precisely the kind of educational experiences needed to meet the national demand for students who are well prepared in science and math fields. 

A Veteran Friendly College

Recently, Nazareth College, in partnership with the Veterans Outreach Center (VOC),hosted another program in a series titled Coming Home from War: A Veteran and Family Discussion Series. This series explores the reintegration of our Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and their families. The latest discussion focused on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which by some estimates, afflicts 20% of returning veterans. The 80 people in attendance heard poignant stories about veterans affected by this disease.  Dr. Laurie Stone, associate director of the VA National Center for PTSD, spoke about PTSD research and the steps being taken to identify and treat those with the disorder.       

This is the second year that Nazareth has co-hosted the Coming Home From War Series with the VOC. It is just one of the many ways that the College is working to serve the needs of returning vets and their families. We believe that Nazareth was the first school in New York State to announce that it would provide scholarship assistance to fill the gap between the actual cost of tuition and the amount veterans receive under the new GI Bill. Even before implementation of the yellow ribbon program Nazareth was willing to guarantee that veterans who served since 9/11 could get a college degree free of tuition charges. The government recently cut back on the education funds available under the GI Bill. Despite this reduction in federal funding, Nazareth has agreed to continue to fill the gap, thereby ensuring that veterans since 9/11 will be able to get a college education without paying for any tuition.

Nazareth also partnered with VOC on Project Vet Connect-Ed. This initiative was funded by a College Access Challenge Grant of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation. It offers programs to local veterans interested in attending college and to faculty and staff at those colleges. A professional development program at Nazareth attracted over 100 faculty and staff members who heard presentations about the needs of veterans and their family members.

Another aspect of the College’s efforts involves the Rochester Regional Veterans Business Council, which supports veteran owned businesses and provides a forum to make the veteran business community an economic force in employment and business development. The Council holds its monthly meetings on our campus and last Fall we hosted a day-long job fair on campus for veterans and veteran-operated businesses. For all our efforts on behalf of veterans, I’m proud to say the Business Council recently awarded us the Veteran Education Champion Award for 2011.

Finally, to show our full commitment to veteran students, Nazareth will soon open a Veterans Student Services Center and will hire a full time person to recruit veterans and ensure that they get the needed services while at Nazareth. The College believes in the value of these young men and women and understands its responsibility to assist them in making the transition to productive civilian lives.

Nazareth Recognized by U.S. News & World Report

We are proud that U.S. News & World Report, one of the nation’s leading sources of service journalism and news, has again ranked Nazareth College in the top tier of colleges and universities in the category of Best Regional Universities-North in its 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges. Nazareth ranked 26th out of the 183 schools in the Best Regional Universities-North, which covers 11 states and the District of Columbia.

This year’s rankings also included Nazareth for two other distinctions. We were one of only 15 schools in the North Regional Universities category to be included on the list of Great Schools, Great Prices. As the magazine indicates, that list is based on both the school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance. Nazareth College also made the guide's lists for A+ Schools for B Students, which recognizes top quality institutions that look for more than just grades on student applications. The U.S. News recognizes these schools because of the importance of seeking a "broad and engaged student body."

This latest recognition confirms that we are providing our students the highest quality experience. We offer our students an excellent liberal arts education that is integrated with professional programs in health and human services, management, and teacher education. And, we give each student high quality academic programs at significant value. It is good to get external recognition for our outstanding efforts on behalf of all our students.

 

A New Academic Year

Welcome to the Class of 2015 and all of our new and returning students! Please click on my video to see a special message for you.

 

The summer has been an extraordinarily busy one on campus with summer classes, sports camps, science camps, the Horizons Program for youngsters from the Rochester City School District, and our international programs, which attracted more than 125 students from around the globe. We also listened to the sound –the sweet sound, I should add—of the construction of the Integrated Center for Math and Science building, which is on schedule for completion a year from now.

Now, the campus will come alive as the freshmen and transfer students arrive for orientation. A few days later, the upper-class students move in and will add to the excitement. I suspect that the students are making preparations as well-- finishing summer jobs, saying good-bye to friends, and for those living on campus, trying to select the clothes and other items to bring to school.  

I am looking forward to welcoming the new students to the Nazareth Family. They will find that they have selected one of the very best schools in the country. I, of course, am biased but my view was confirmed earlier this summer when we received notice that we again are included in Princeton Review’s Best Colleges in the United States. Fewer than 15% of the schools in the country are included in this publication, and we are very proud of this distinction.

Princeton Review’s very favorable description of us is right on the mark. It stressed that we are an especially personalized school, and it included student comments praising the professors for their excellent teaching and the faculty and staff for their genuine concern about students. To quote from the book, “Nazareth is a close community of students and faculty working together to pursue positive educational experience.” “Nazareth is a close- knit community [,] …a beautiful school with many opportunities.” “The greatest strength is the sense of community. Everyone looks out for everyone else.”

It is both an exciting and perhaps anxious time for students who soon will leave for college. But, I am confident that once our students arrive they quickly will know that they made the right decision!

Commencement: An Ending and a Beginning

As we approach the 2011 Commencement ceremony, I am reminded that the word “commencement” is an interesting and fitting word to describe the event. Commencement actually has two meanings—it is a ceremony at the end of an academic year. But, it also refers to a beginning and in this regard it is a most appropriate word to describe the graduation event.

Students are ending their academic programs and beginning the next phase of their lives - whether it is work, or more school, or travel, or some other experience.  They, however, leave Nazareth with links that enable them to connect the experience that is ending to the new experiences that are now beginning. 

The College’s mission statement is a forward looking declaration that connects the educational experience here with the future. The statement declares that it is our goal to provide a learning environment that fosters commitment to a life informed by intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic values.  These are not simply words but our very purpose, and our students end their academic careers with the understandings and abilities to foster that kind of commitment in the future.

The mission statement also provides that it is our goal to inspire in our students a dedication to the ideal of service to their communities and to making a difference in their own world and the world around them. Many of the graduates have been engaged with the community while at Nazareth. This year alone our students devoted 553,000 hours of service to the community. I am confident that they will remain committed to the ideal of service.

I want to mention another link between the phase of life that is ending and the excitement for the future, and that link includes their fellow graduates. Many of the students at this time of year experience mixed emotions—happy to have reached this significant milestone but at the same time concerned about the future of close friendships made over the past years.

Let me offer a personal observation about those friends. I recently spoke on the phone to a friend in New York City. We met during our college orientation more years ago than I want to say, and we roomed together our junior and senior years. We went to different law schools and he has lived in NYC since his graduation from law school while I have lived upstate. Nevertheless, we have stayed close, attending each other’s weddings, watching our respective families grow, and generally sharing our career and life experiences.  We speak regularly on the phone and see each other often.

I mention this story to illustrate that as the graduates begin new phases in their lives, they too will maintain the close friendships developed over the years at Naz. In this respect the past and future remain connected.

Commencement may be an ending and a beginning, but the experience that is ending and the future that is beginning are permanently linked together.

 

Connecting with the World

The growing interconnectedness of the world makes it more important than ever that we expose students to different cultures. Nazareth College partners with over 30 institutions around the world, allowing for our international programs to continue expanding and increasing the number of our students and faculty traveling to other countries. At the same time, we increased the number of international students who study here at the College. During the year we had students from 31 countries, including Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, and Mongolia, to name a few.

In a month our American Language Institute will host students from countries around the globe for study during the summer months. And, the U.S. Department of State’s Study of U.S. Institute for Pluralism is bringing 20 students from five African countries to campus from June 26 through July 28.

It is interesting to note that both parents and employers recognize the need to prepare students to engage with people who are different from them. Eduventures conducted a national survey of parents and found that 72% identified the ability to "communicate with different people" as an "absolutely essential" outcome of a college education. The Association of American Colleges and Universities conducted a survey of employers and found that 71% thought that colleges should place more emphasis on “teamwork skills and the ability to collaborate with others in diverse groups."

Similarly, in upholding the University of Michigan Law School’s affirmative action policy, the Supreme Court found that the benefits derived from student body diversity “are not theoretical but real, as major businesses have made clear that the skills needed in today’s increasingly global marketplace can only be developed through exposure to widely diverse cultures, ideas, and viewpoints.”

Take a look at the following video to learn more about our efforts to prepare students as global citizens.

 

For the Love of the Game

I am not sure I can describe adequately the excitement and tension in our gym last Saturday night (April 16, 2011). We were hosting the finals of the Division III men’s volleyball tournament. The place was packed with enthusiastic, screaming fans. Naz was in the finals after having an extraordinary year with a 31-3  record. While we are in only our 7th season, we were playing Springfield, a  perennial volleyball powerhouse. 

To get to the finals Nazareth played an amazingly close and exciting match against a team from Carthage College in Wisconsin. In this semi-final match, Nazareth was down 2-1 in games and losing 22-19 in the fourth game. We came back to win that game and then win the fifth and deciding game to qualify for the finals.

The final match against Springfield was well played by both teams and quite tense, with the lead changing back and forth. Nazareth won the first game but lost the second. Not to be denied, the Nazareth team fought back and won the final two games.  The students rushed onto court to congratulate the Division III men’s volleyball national champions, the Nazareth Golden Flyers!!

As I watched the event I was reminded of why I so enjoy Division III sports. Students play not because they expect to get pro contracts but out of love for the sport. They fully understand, however, that their academic pursuits are more important and, in this regard are truly scholar athletes. Through the experience, they make life-long friends and they learn life skills—team work, time management, leadership, and the ability to deal with disappointment as well as success.

It was a great night for the players, the coaches, and the entire Nazareth community.  

Record Number of Fulbright Awards

We received wonderful news that five of our students were selected for the prestigious Fulbright Program. Established by Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." The program is the largest U.S. international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. As the Fulbright web site states, the Program is now the “most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world.”

The five Nazareth Fulbright award winners selected this year will be teaching English in other countries. Jeri Beckens and Daniel Simmons will teach in Germany. Alyssa Pantano will teach in Argentina; Amanda Poppe in Spain, and Amber Powers in Nepal.  

The Fulbright Program is an important part of a long-standing tradition of academic excellence at Nazareth College. Since 2007, twelve of our students have been selected as Fulbrights. The number of Fulbright awards granted to Nazareth students puts us on par with the top colleges our size in the country. We are very proud of the members of our College who have taken part in the Fulbright Program. We send our congratulations and best wishes to the most recently selected Fulbright award winners.

Construction is Underway

After many years of planning, it is finally underway. This week we began construction of the new Integrated Center for Math and Science. This 74,000 sq. feet building is the largest new academic facility to be built on the Nazareth campus.

The need for the building has grown exponentially over the past decades. For example:

• Our undergraduates take a lab course as part of their core curriculum.
• We now have 900 students majoring in one of the health and human services fields.
• We are attempting to address the national need for more students who are well prepared to enter careers in math, science, technology and medicine.
• Nazareth has taken a lead in efforts to produce well qualified math and science teachers at the primary and secondary levels.  

As a result of all these efforts, we have heavy demands on the existing math and science facilities.

The new building will include labs, classrooms, study spaces, faculty offices, and common areas. A unique feature are the spaces that will enable us to expand the opportunities for interdisciplinary and collaborative learning where students work with each other and with faculty on undergraduate research projects. These experiences allow the students to apply the material they are learning in the classroom and develop an appreciation for the theoretical as well as practical application of science and math. They are precisely the kind of educational experiences needed to meet the national demand for students who are well prepared for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Finally, the new greenhouse will allow us to initiate an innovative horticulture therapy program. 

We are proud that the Center also will be the first LEED certified “green” building on the campus.  And, out of concern for the environment, we have agreed to plant a new tree for each one that is removed on the site.

This is an exciting moment in the College’s history, and I look forward to sharing the story of the construction of the Center over the next year. Please take a moment to LEARN MORE about the project.