Message from President David Johns

Dear Ferrum Community,

Colleges promise a lot—academically, socially, and professionally. We are judged by those promises and whether we deliver on them. Of these, perhaps the most important is the promise of access and opportunity. But there is a problem: sometimes we act as if the opportunity students want and the access they need is college itself.

This is not true.

College is a springboard to opportunity and possibility, it is not a trampoline that gets you nowhere. It is not an end in itself for its own sake. We prepare students for life, for its many surprising and unpredictable turns, and then we provide a pathway to what lies beyond, a pathway to meaningful work.

Every student. Every major. Every day.

This meaningful work is bigger than a job, and even bigger than a career; it is a life purpose based upon our values and guided by a desire to improve our lives, our families, and our communities. This life work requires us to be problem solvers who are determined, smart, and fearless, and to be leaders who are ready to build the future.

One thing is for sure, Ferrum College students know that nothing in life comes easy or free, we all have to work hard for what we want. Our students come to us with promise; we help them find purpose; then we connect them to possibility.

We are excited to launch our new strategic plan, Fulfill the Promise. In this plan, we are focusing our efforts to make sure our students know how to build the networks they need, to make sure they are prepared for and have clear pathways to meaningful work through an education that is dynamic and attainable.

And because at Ferrum College we are family, we plan to stay connected for a lifetime.

With Panther Pride,

David L. Johns, Ph.D. President