Preparing for the Future
This fall marks my 32nd in higher education. It is clearer to me than ever before why colleges and universities are often at the center of the public conversation around important topics of national interest.
This fall marks my 32nd in higher education. It is clearer to me than ever before why colleges and universities are often at the center of the public conversation around important topics of national interest. Our students are plugged into the public discourse on many issues, including climate change and global conflicts. Today’s issues will shape their futures.
Institutions like Lewis & Clark have a crucial role to play, both in the lives of students and in society at large. In addition to helping students achieve their personal and professional goals, we also provide an education that prepares them to become leaders and make a positive impact on their communities.
A Lewis & Clark education sets the foundation for a wide variety of career paths: from attorney to artist, entrepreneur to educator, diplomat to data scientist, and everything in between. As demonstrated by the impressive career of double alumnus Congressman Earl Blumenauer, it can also prepare them for a lifetime of public service.
In these pages, you’ll read about many of our community members who share Congressman Blumenauer’s commitment to making a difference. For example, it’s the fourth consecutive year that our undergraduates, in partnership with staff of the Center for Social Change and Community Involvement, have participated in the national ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge to support nonpartisan democratic engagement. Another case in point:
This year, the graduate school is launching a hybrid program aimed at training rural Oregonians to work as school psychologists in their local schools. And U.S. News & World Report recently featured Lewis & Clark Law School as a top choice for aspiring civil rights attorneys for its strong dedication to addressing inequities, as well as its impactful legal clinics and expert faculty.
We aim to provide students with more robust experiential learning opportunities, an advantage in today’s tough job market.”
Our campus community is having a positive impact on the future of the college, too. Through a comprehensive, yearlong process that engaged stakeholders across the institution, we have zeroed in on three strategic imperatives that put students at the center. This new direction for the college doubles down on what makes L&C unique. Adding to the rigorous academics that we are known for, we aim to provide students with more robust experiential learning opportunities, an advantage in today’s tough job market.
I am happy to report that this first phase of the strategic process is complete. Now the real work begins. I am leading a group of faculty and staff to identify the initiatives and programs that will help us achieve these imperatives and take Lewis & Clark to new heights.
There is no doubt that this strategic vision will need you, too: our alumni. I plan to continue to provide updates as the process unfolds to keep you apprised of what is happening at your alma mater. Whatever your current level of engagement with our three schools, now is a great time to deepen your relationship and help usher in a bright future for Lewis & Clark and our students.
Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan, PhD
President
