I take issue with several of Mr. Asch's assumptions, starting with the notion that there is a "leadership void" in the wake of the Baby Boomers. Looking only from the narcissistic perspective of one's own generational viewpoint is an intellectual misstep that ignores the basic tenant, supported by years of cultural evolution, that each generation, even while building upon the work of parents and grandparents, nonetheless creates new and forward-thinking paradigms that propel society forward. That the Baby Boomers can, or should, seek to stop societal development in a timewarp that perpetuates their image is a false premise, not to mention an impossible scenario. Mr. Asch's underlying premise for a civilian leadership academy seems designed to perpetuate the boomers' notion of how society should advance, but the commonality of each new generation of young people is that they see the world as theirs to embrace and shape, and they do not feel confined by either the successes or failures of past generations.

As president of an institution of higher education, and a boomer about to become a grandparent, I cannot fail to observe the recurring pattern of optimistic dreams and plans each fall as a new class enters. And I witness it again each spring as a class graduates. Even a recession cannot temper their notion that the world awaits what they have to offer. I disagree with Mr. Asch's premise that education should be founded around the notion of leadership. I would argue instead, that rather than being the focal point of education, leadership is the natural result of a well-rounded education. Leaders aren't created, they emerge naturally across all disciplines, and, indeed, there are many expressions of leadership. Mr. Asch seems to suggest that through a national academy, we need to create a leadership "class" who can then manage our society. That assumption ignores another commonality of youth, which is that they are consistent in their challenge of "authority" and "the system," and they naturally seek to define their own boundaries. Today's college students are significantly more engaged in helping others, community service and global issues than the boomers even, but they do not see the implementation of their ideals as occurring through proscribed channels or existing systems of the public sector, so like generations before them, we should expect them to reject current structures and create their own—in both the public and private sectors.

While I agree with Mr. Asch's observation that service learning, study abroad and real-life internships are crucial elements of post-secondary education, I disagree with his assumption that universities today are lacking in this commitment. Indeed, some institutions of higher education have been building these elements into their curricula—both graduate and undergraduate—for some time, not as a replacement for the traditional transfer and creation of knowledge in the arts and sciences, but rather as a means of further advancing that creation process by asking students to begin to apply what they are learning to the process of finding solutions for real-world problems long before they graduate. Having been involved with The New American Colleges and Universities since its inception in 1995, I can attest to the commitment within higher education to the notion of preparing leaders across all disciplines through learning experiences that integrate the classroom with the real world. At my own institution, we have revolutionalized our Undergraduate Curriculum with four required learning experiences common to all students: an introductory first-year learning experience, interdisciplinary university seminars, a global connections experience through study abroad or a domestic experience, and a senior capstone project that requires original research or creative work. Internships and service learning also are incorporated across all of our majors. The result is graduates that are already engaged in the world and are eager to be a part of revitalizing and reshaping it.

One of the reasons I was attracted to Arcadia University was its particular emphasis on a global education as a key means of educating the leaders of tomorrow. The young adults of today have a view of the world that is wider than previous generations, in part because information now flows so freely over the Internet. Opportunities to study abroad and engage in the world provide the immersive experience needed to connect real life to the virtual world. These experiences become a global accelerator for students who do not limit their plans for what they will be able to accomplish in a future where careers and civic engagement are likely to combine as they both contribute to and prosper in a global marketplace. And even as the current economic landscape shifts beneath their feet, their dreams and aspirations will lead to the continuing evolution of a nation and a society built by individuals who assume all types of leadership roles in their workplaces, in their communities and in their families. Neither the Baby Boomers nor any perceived lack of academic training will hold the next generations back from advancing society. Leadership is not a taught skill as much as an inherent desire, inspired by experiences, within each individual to make his or her own way in the world. The best we can do as educators is to help provide the beginning knowledge and experiences that open each individual to the possibilities that lie before them and then stand in awe as they engage in solving problems, making discoveries and creating new things.

Arcadia is committed to its own goal of expanding study abroad—and of domestic off-campus study in pursuit of global perspectives—for all of its students. According to the Institute for International Education (IIE), we have a higher percentage of our undergraduate students studying abroad than another other college or university in the nation, and our graduate programs are at the forefront of providing global learning and clinical experiences. Our network of more than 100 programs around the world, and we extend these opportunities to students from more than 300 other colleges and universities who transfer credit earned in Arcadia programs back to their own degrees. We believe that students who learn in our programs are distinctively prepared to be the leaders of tomorrow, with the skills they will need to compete in a global marketplace.

At Arcadia, our courses and academic experiences make the connections—across disciplines and cultures, between theory and practical applications, between the classroom and the community—that help students in all disciplines to understand other people and how they work together in the world.

Key findings of the IIE survey: "The most significant challenges to increasing study abroad revolved largely around costs and funding. The most frequently cited challenge was the rising costs for students (89 percent), followed by insufficient endowments or scholarship funding from the home institution (79 percent), rising costs for program operation and administration (73 percent), and not enough federal funding available for students to study abroad (72 percent)."

The strategies suggested include "more study abroad scholarship opportunities (83 percent), more institutional funding for the study abroad office (55 percent), and stronger commitment from faculty (53 percent) and institutional leadership (38 percent)."

At Arcadia, our commitment to providing overseas learning experiences not only dates back to 1948, but we have fully committed to the belief that every student deserves and needs a global perspective—in the classroom and in real-life learning opportunities. Study abroad should no longer be perceived as just for the privileged, but rather as part of a complete education that includes multicultural interaction.

Turning that lofty ideal into reality requires a financial commitment on the part of the University, and a curricular commitment on the part of the faculty. Arcadia has accomplished both—and remains committed. For an Arcadia University student spending a semester studying abroad through any of Arcadia University's more than 100 programs around the world, the cost of tuition and housing will be exactly the same as if he/she were attending Arcadia's Glenside campus that semester. Scholarships, grants and loans also apply to that semester, including Arcadia merit scholarships and other institutional aid. And our faculty are creative, resourceful and entrepreneurial in finding ways to incorporate global perspectives into their classes and in making it possible for students in every major to study abroad. They are currently implementing a new curriculum that includes a Global Connections Experience and Reflection for every student.

This May, half of our seniors graduated with credits earned abroad. That is an amazing number, and I expect it to rise with the advent of our new curricular experiences. More and more of our graduate programs also require or provide for a global learning experience, which makes us quite distinct from most of our peer institutions.

Even during this recession, our Board, our faculty and staff, and our students remain committed to these efforts. We know that our students will need the global perspectives they are learning now in order to prosper in and contribute to the world tomorrow.

Perhaps the actions that result from passion are easier to see. At our Undergraduate Commencement on May 15, I might have counted as one measure of passion about 800 hands and 800 feet, also known as a spontaneous standing ovation by our graduating seniors. They rose as one as Marie-Louise Vemeiren Jackson inspired them to engage in the world, not to wait for a job to find them, but instead to create their own opportunities, to lend a hand where one is needed, to be problem-solvers, and to put to use the global perspective that is a hallmark of an Arcadia education.

Marie-Louise—whose ties to Arcadia include teaching, being the mother of an Arcadia grad, serving as a Trustee, studying abroad, and supporting programs such as the Visiting International Professor and Modern Languages—mentioned later that she had strayed from her written notes as she addressed the graduates. That in itself might be a metaphor for what lies ahead for our graduates—their careers will not be confined to proscribed pathways, but instead will be guided by the knowledge of the world they have gained so far, and by their abilities to seek and use new knowledge to contribute to the world.

View Marie-Louise Jackson's commencement address.

I also look forward to using this blog to introduce to you the new faculty whom we are hiring for the coming year. While we are freezing most new hiring, and everyone is working very hard, Arcadia is NOT planning layoffs or cuts to employee benefits.

The following are the most recent updates on several key areas in Arcadia's planning for 2009-10. This is a point-in-time look at our situation, and I will endeavor to keep you updated.

Range of Economic Uncertainty: The volatility of the external economy has several direct and indirect effects on our university budget planning. Direct effects include interest and inflation rates and financial aid allocations. Indirect effects include the ability of students and families to borrow and the value of the assets and income they might use to pay tuition. The University is taking considerable precautions to plan for a sizable contingency that would allow us to deliver a quality education while maintaining a reserve upon which we could rely if necessary. We are projecting cost savings of about $2 million in 2009-10. The University also has committed significant additional scholarship and grant support for current and new undergraduate and transfer students.

Specific Cost Savings: We have initiated in Planning Council a discussion of the many possible ways to reduce costs, both within individual programs and across the campus. We have shared the list of possible reduction items with faculty and staff in many venues. Please feel free to share ideas with your unit vice president or use the new Web form (http://www.arcadia.edu/presidents-form.htm) to get your ideas and concerns to me as soon as possible.

University Commons: With Board support and donor funding, we are continuing to move forward on the architectural planning for this project. The general design has been approved, and we are now completing the detailed construction documents and architectural drawings. We are able to accomplish this without using University funds, thanks to generous support provided by Lois Haber, Chair of our Board of Trustees. We also have formed a Recognition Committee to offer contributors the opportunity to name areas in this impressive new building. We are delaying the start of construction because the credit markets that we would tap for financing remain in a state of turmoil. Credit conditions will remain a key factor determining when we might be able to start construction.

At Home & In the World: the Campaign for Arcadia University: The Campaign continues to raise funds for scholarships, the Commons and more. We are currently involved in discussions about various governmental grant opportunities that could help fund infrastructure needs that have been identified through our planning process. I want to thank all of you who have contributed and made commitments to the Campaign through the Faculty and Staff campaigns. I am happy to announce two new endowed funds that will be focal points of our fund-raising efforts in the near term, in honor of Mike Berger and Jay Vogel and the legacies that they will leave at Arcadia as they retire. As much as those of us on campus have heard about the Campaign, we are still in the "quiet phase," and we are preparing for the public launch of the Campaign in November 2009.

Middle States: Thank you to all who participated in this multi-year process that resulted in a very successful visit from our accreditation team earlier this month. In their brief oral report at the conclusion of the visit, the team left us with several thoughts about our next steps in our evolving drive to be a leader in international education. Not the least of which is that we have much to be proud of and that our goals are clearly within reach. The tasks ahead are those which we have identified in our own Self Study and which were reaffirmed by the Middle States team, including our need to refocus our academic structure and to measure better the outcomes of what we do so that those outcomes can direct our planning.

Again, thanks to each of you who are focused on providing a quality educational experience for all of our students and who are helping to ensure our success on these key endeavors.

I also will use this space to update you on our planning and our responses to a changing economic environment. I am pleased to report that Arcadia is on a very sound footing, and our planning focuses on maintaining and enhancing our core educational mission while looking for opportunities for energy savings and other ways to reduce expenses.

You may have an idea for reducing expenses and enhancing revenues. Please use the Web form to send your comments/ideas/questions to me.

Thank you,
Jerry