Selecting The New President: Student Voices Count
– Dr. Rickabaugh, Interim VPAA (Defiance, OH)
Students, our college is in the process of making one of its most important decisions since being chartered in 1850 . . . selecting a President that can lead us into a more promising future. As a student members of our college community, I want to remind you that your futures are also at stake in the process.
Looking ahead, when you become a graduate of Defiance College, our legacy (past, present, and future) will become your own. What institutional changes do you want both for yourself and for future Defiance College students? What are our primary strengths to build upon, opportunities that we need to pursue, limitations that we must address, and threats that we must develop strategies to overcome?
We need student perspectives in order to truly represent ourselves and to develop effective strategies for growth as we move into an uncertain future. The next Defiance College President will coordinate the efforts of our college community and must be a selfless and efficient individual that can lead us to our true potential. Your attendance and active participation in upcoming presidential search forums is vital.
If I were a Defiance College student, I would want to ensure that each Presidential candidate had prepared for this opportunity by completing the following tasks:
- He/she had researched our college along with its mission, history, and unique features.
- He/she had developed an understanding of our student body and inquired about their wants and needs.
- He/she had established a track record of effective, inclusive leadership to accomplish specific goals.
- He/she had developed insightful and specific questions to pose to our students in order to gain a better understanding of our true focus (you).
I invite you all to be active participants in this decision making process during the Presidential Open Forum events October 5th-8th at 6:00 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium. Your attendance, input, and participation are paramount to the progression our institution.
