I am a first generation college student. I did great in high school and graduated as one of the top 10 of my class – all 56 students.  I never had the opportunity to take a chemistry or physics class in high school – not because I did not want to, but because they were not offered.

As I attended college, I realized that my goal of receiving a degree in Agriculture was in jeopardy as I struggled with Chemistry.  I laugh (externally, but not inside) when I tell folks that Chemistry made me a lawyer.

My Role

In my role as Dean of Florida State University Panama City, I often visit with students and talk about their future.  Recently, I met with a student who told me she wanted to be a doctor but had given up on that goal. She gave up after a high school teacher told her that because she had performed poorly in a science class, she would not find success in the medical field. My heart broke as I listened, and I let her know that nothing could be further from the truth.

While I recognize and appreciate the fact that students have natural strengths, I refuse to believe that someone can either be good at science or the humanities, but not both. People can learn to capitalize on their strengths while developing their weaknesses into skills. Though these skills may not come easy, they are equally valuable. Educators constantly hear about folks who have excellent technical skills, but lack the soft skills to function in a work environment. Rather than immediately labeling he/she at an early age as a potential scientist or poet, farmer or journalist, engineer or historian, we should strive to develop the whole student. This is a trait that we as educators should work to master to have a curriculum that is strongly aligned to the needs of the workforce, while also producing interesting and interested lifelong learners.

Aimed Focus

At Florida State University, I have found a place where the curriculum in all programs is based on strong writing, technical, and leadership skills.  A place where the focus is on a comprehensive education, and where the faculty work hard to help students succeed. While I strongly support and  believe there is clearly a place for institutions where the focus is on workforce education, and also for colleges who focus primarily on the liberal arts, FSU does a great job of capitalizing on a wide range of critical aspects that are needed in our increasingly complex, and fast-moving society.

I am cognizant that there are critics of a university education. Some find fault with what they perceive as a liberal bias from professors, or places where students are “coddled”.  In my daily work, nothing could be further from the truth.  At FSU PC, I work every day with a group of brilliant and talented professors, whose sole interest is helping their students succeed.  I work daily with some of the most engaged students, many of whom are, like me, the first in their family to attend college. Most of these students are working one or more jobs and balancing their family responsibilities. along with academic pursuits.  They are not being sheltered, but instead they are being held to the highest standards. They are being supported through an immense period of intellectual and personal growth, with the goal that they will be prepared for the ever-changing workforce.

At FSU Panama City

We ensure students of the FSU PC Promise – We will be their partner, they will be prepared for the workforce or graduate school, they can set their path, and FSU will always be their home.

On both campuses (Tallahassee and Panama City), we are acutely focused on student success.  We have regular, university-wide enrollment, management meetings to break down barriers.  Also, our faculty are constantly redesigning courses and we have an intense focus on career preparation services. We have also become the largest university in the country to have an experiential learning requirement for all new students.

A Work in Progress

An important part of a student being successful in the classroom is being engaged on campus.  I am very proud of the work we have done on both campuses to enhance student activities; an important part of the equation.  I am especially proud that we anticipate having student housing at FSU PC by Fall of 2021.

The work that has been done at FSU in student success did not happen overnight.  It has been in place for many years. Today we have a 70% four-year graduation rate for first-time college students, the highest in Florida, and one of the best in the country.

Value

While some question the value of a university degree, I see its worth every single day. Watching both new and returning students develop needed technical skills, along with critical thinking, and leadership skills, is thrilling. I am always proud to see them as successful members of our society.

 

Go Noles!