We often hold in our minds two perceptions of Emory & Henry that, on the surface, seem contradictory: Emory & Henry as a charming rural college, focused on excellence yet isolated from a prodigiously fluctuating world and Emory & Henry as a conduit to a vast universe of ideas, diversity and opportunities. Those of us who know and love this institution well, know clearly how both notions are consistent and, in fact, define perhaps what is most distinctive about this place.
Posted December 01, 2022
John W. Wells, E&H President
Nevertheless, this duality of definition sometimes has challenged us as we have sought to explain who we are and what we do best, especially to the prospective student. In addition, the two descriptions sometimes have created obstacles as we prioritize our programming or seek to reconcile our past with the future.
During the last few years, however, as we have seen an increase in enrollment and experienced greater enthusiasm for the institution, we have observed a simultaneous clarity in the terms that best describe this institution, and the word that stands out most prominently within this lexicon is “connection.”
At Emory & Henry, our students are establishing a multitude of connections. They are carrying on the E&H tradition of bonding powerfully with their professors and one another, thus reinforcing their ties to the generations. At the same time, they are connecting their passions to their education in ways that are of service to this place and pertinent to the world.
These connections have become stronger and clearer recently as we have pursued the concept of the “applied liberal arts.” A phrase that once seemed a contradiction in terms is increasingly seen by the professional world as describing the core of excellence in higher education. Emory & Henry is leading in efforts to connect the liberal arts to the world of work, and our students along with other stakeholders are responding.
This edition of the E&H Magazine highlights bold and broad measures we are undertaking to enhance connections for students. Through significant investments in programming aimed at student success and in infrastructure, Emory & Henry will greatly enlarge its capacity to connect students to their gifts and those gifts to opportunities.
I believe the rewards of such connections will soon pay off in ways that we can now only imagine. Students empowered by connection march fearlessly into a dynamic world, armed against adversity with the weapons of outreach and understanding and with the skills for bringing people together.
For numerous reasons, the world now more than ever demands greater connection. Emory & Henry is providing the glue.
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