the wake of dramatic upheaval at Mount St. Mary’s University, where Simon Newman resigned as president last month amid a national controversy over academic freedom and an intense local debate over the future direction and mission of the liberal-arts college, the acting president spoke earlier this week about the Maryland school’s future.
[A liberal arts college pinned its hopes on a corporate leader, and a culture clash ensued]
Newman’s tenure was divisive, as he pushed to implement major changes for the Emmitsburg campus, the country’s second-oldest Catholic university. He worked to boost overall enrollment, add new programs that are in demand from employers and students, and improve retention rates in part by identifying struggling freshmen early.
[Mount St. Mary’s president’s brutal wording sets off a controversy]
Newman had stepped in after a career in finance. His interim replacement came from within the campus community. Karl Einolf, who had been the dean of the Richard J. Bolte, Sr., School of Business before the resignation, talked with the campus community in a forum Monday about his vision for the school.
[Mount St. Mary’s president resigns]
According to a spokesman,
There are several aspects to the vision for the university – all rooted in the solid Catholic liberal arts tradition.
Some specifics acting president Karl Einolf outlined in his open forum he held on campus:
He said, “We are strengthening our core curriculum – it will be smaller in size and yet still firmly rooted in the Catholic liberal arts tradition that is the soul of the Mount. Students will have more opportunities for study both inside and outside of their majors.
- And we will have more majors – cybersecurity, forensic accounting, entrepreneurship, PPE (philosophy/politics/economics) and data science and more to come.
- We are investing in new technologies – both in and out of the classroom – to support student learning process.
- We are committed to forming Career Pathways, connecting students with professionals and alumni in the field they are studying – helping students build network while at the Mount.
- We are going to create a Center for Student Success which will encompass all the ways in which we ensure that students will be successful and thrive at Mount
- We are committed to Division 1 Athletics – and we are looking at how we can leverage D1 to bring more talented students to the Mount.
- We are also committed to supporting our seminary and its important job of supplying the best formation program in the nation as we prepare our men for the priesthood.”
The mission is the same but creating more opportunities for students.
The board sought out the most qualified candidate to lead the university during the presidential selection process.
The timeline and criteria for selecting the next president for Mount St. Mary’s is being compiled.
[SOURCE :-washingtonpost]
