Thursday Jan. 23, 2013 VOL. LV, ISSUE XIV
Inside
LADY CAVS PAGE 14
THOUGHTS ABOUT SEMESTER AT SEA PAGE 8
Online
www.theloquitur.com
BATTLING THE DISTANCE PAGE 6
Cabrini’s presidential search brings Dr. Donald Taylor to campus WWW.BEN.EDU
BY MADISON MILANO Deputy Managing Editor
Dr. Donald Taylor, Provost & Chief Academic Officer at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.
Presidential candidate Dr. Donald Taylor was on the Cabrini College campus last Tuesday and Wednesday to meet While there were challenges and problems that Taylor with students, staff and faculty as the search for Cabrini’s spoke of, he also emphasized the importance of the value of next president continues. During his time, he spoke to about the college experience. 100 of Cabrini’s staff, faculty and students in a town hall style “At institutions like Benedictine and Cabrini, we have to meeting. recapture the narrative about the value of college education; “Parents, grandparents, etc. are really asking that question it’s probably the single greatest investment we will ever make. – what’s the return on investment? Millennial generations, And somehow along the line in the last five years, as a sidebar those students don’t want to take on the debt the way the pre- conversation with the recession, we’ve lost that narrative in vious generation did,” Taylor said. According to Taylor, there higher ed.” are changing demographics that the college needs to address, He went on to talk about the higher earning potential citing that the perand employment centage of high rates of college school gradugraduates but also ates for Hispanic of the intangibles and Latino, Asian – the courses and and first generaexperiences that tion students has expand passion as increased. These well as knowledge. increasing demo“The biggest graphics are the value of a liberal groups that Cabrini arts education should be focusing is that it teaches on. one how to enjoy DR. DONALD TAYLOR Along with the life,” Taylor said. fiscal challenges, “Liberal arts really Taylor also spoke of the role that technology has played in the prepares you, not only for personal, but for professional sucstudents’ lives and the struggles that it brings with it. cess.” “This generation of students have grown up where technolWhen asked specifically about the problems that Cabrini ogy is a part of their DNA – they think differently…they’re used faces he spoke of general problems that he has noticed in his to instantaneous information, so the sheer volume of trans- readings and visit. He pointed out that he doesn’t know the actions that occur on a daily basis in our lives is astronomi- campus well enough to find out all the answers. The first probcal,” Taylor said. “And everybody expects and instantaneous lem area that he would work on is enrollment response to that, because that’s the generation that they grew “First and foremost is enrollment, you’re tuition dependent up in.” This technology and social media boom has changed which means you’re enrollment dependent.” the mindset and way business is transacted along with changTo do this, Taylor spoke of branching out and recruiting the conversation around teaching and learning. Faculty ing students in the changing demographics (Hispanic, first and staff are teaching for jobs that have yet to be created. generation, etc.) and take advantage of Cabrini’s location by One of the main points that Taylor made was the impor- recruiting international students. To keep the finances steady, tance of partnerships and program creation, these could be he reiterated the importance of developing, refreshing and “4+1” or “3+2” programs, dual enrollment with community creating new programs and projects and funding these things colleges or dual credit with high schools. He also stated that to grow the mission. There is strong work that needs to be there are important opportunities that are inherently present, done to get the retention numbers higher as well. and advantageous, on our campus because of the location, Taylor is currently the Provost and Chief Academic Officer adding that when students graduate from Cabrini, they will at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. not only be competing against students from similar schools but on a global scale. MRM356@CABRINI.EDU
“We have to recapture the narrative about the value of college education; it’s probably the single greatest investment we will ever make. ”
What did the students think? “Cabrini needs someone who’s business minded, and as a business person he knows how to grow a higher ed. institution, he’s exactly what we need right now. He’s not going to be what students are used to – you know with Dr. George who was best friends with everyone, but he’s definitely the best type of president we can look for.” –Mario Marino, junior , finance & accounting major
WOODCREST WEDDINGS PAGE 9
“I thought he was a good candidate. Cabrini needs a more business savvy individual to make the Cabrini name more known and I believe that he is the type of person Cabrini is looking for.” -Dan LaBar, sophomore, management information systems major
“I really liked him. He seemed really down to Earth and knows how to get things done. I liked the fact that he said ‘decisions are not “I really enjoyed talking to Dr. Taylor, he has a lot of experience just made by me, I will go out and get input and I feel he could really help Cabrini move forward. He is a business from a bunch of different people.’ He also said man and has great ideas to make Cabrini a first choice school.” he doesn’t like to hide in his office, that he will –Lucia Neuber, sophomore, exercise science major take the time to get out and talk to students.” -Rachel Layden, senior, English & American studies