THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
Recalling Higher Education’s Democratic Purpose As my former colleague, Hal Boyd, and I will detail in our forthcoming book, The Public University: Recalling Higher Education’s Democratic Purpose, the role of higher education in our nation began to evolve in the middle of the 19th century to meet the demands of industrialization and agriculture. Whereas their aim was once, in the words of former Harvard President Derek Bok, “to educate an elite group of young men for the learned professions and positions of leadership in society,” our colleges and universities came to align their missions with what
This “sanctuary of citizenship,” one where all voices and perspectives can be freely shared, is vital to our ability as citizens of a diverse nation to set aside our differences and work together for the common good.
Benjamin Franklin once determined to be “those things that are likely to be most useful.” More pragmatic, vocation-oriented programs such as engineering, business administration, teacher training and public health began to flourish. Then, in the late 19th century, institutions began to undertake more rigorous scientific endeavors, and the American research university was born. As a comprehensive university that prizes the liberal arts, practical hands-on learning and undergraduate student research, all these threads comprise the fabric that is EKU today. But what is often overlooked is our commitment to preparing young men and women to become full participants in this grand experiment of American democracy. This “sanctuary of citizenship,” one where all voices and perspectives can be freely shared, is vital to our ability as citizens of a diverse nation to set aside our differences and work together for the common good.
Kentucky. And most remain following graduation. Among all the public, four-year institutions across the Commonwealth and at all degree levels, EKU graduates also enjoy the highest Kentucky employment rate (76 percent) five years post-graduation. As residents of this great Commonwealth, the quality of life we enjoy in our communities is a direct result of EKU graduates who serve as teachers and school administrators, nurses and other health care professionals, law enforcement officers and other first responders, social workers, environmental scientists and other public health officials, not to mention others who impact job creation in various ways or who enrich us through the arts. Increasingly in coming years, even the pilot at the controls of your airplane may well be a graduate of our rapidly growing aviation program. We can’t make this point strongly enough when we advocate for public support of higher education: besides the wise investment in our young people, it is a down payment toward an engaged citizenry and toward the quality of life that we sometimes take for granted: the education of our children, and the safety, health and welfare of us all. Enjoy this issue of EKU Magazine, and let us remember to thank the Eastern graduates who are “Powering Kentucky’s Communities” and serving us every day.
Michael T. Benson President, Eastern Kentucky University Students Laura Jackson, LEFT, and Lucy Burkhart, RIGHT, snap a selfie with President Benson during Welcome Week.
Taken together, these hallmarks of an Eastern graduate also explain why we can proudly call ourselves “Kentucky’s University” and why, as an article in this issue proclaims, we are “Powering Kentucky’s Communities.” This is nothing new; indeed, it is this institution’s legacy, a story that spans many generations. Nearly 90 percent of our undergraduates are Kentucky residents, the highest rate among all the public, four-year institutions in
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