From t h e Pres i d e nt
Are We There Yet?
S
INCE 189 9, Southern Nazarene University has been on a journey. When you read its history and hear the stories of the hardships and sacrifices made in the past, it’s very clear that the people on the journey were full of faith and strength. They faced the hardships and made sacrifices to ensure that students were provided the best in Christ-centered higher education. I can’t help but wonder what the conversations about the future might have been like in 1929 or 1941, or what future administrations will face in fifty, seventy-five, even one hundred years from now. Throughout the journey there will be similarities and differences in the opportunities, but we must remain relevant, provide excellence, and demonstrate service for students pursuing a higher education experience in a community of faith. Some of my greatest memories are from family vacations that Carolyn and I took with our kids. We grew up in families with limited resources, so we didn’t experience family vacations such as those we have since been able to provide for our own children. Now, there is a question that I recall—and that I do not miss—when I remember those long road trip family vacations. It is that age old question that all children (and some members of the family that act like children) ask when you are traveling. You know the question. It might come after the first block of travel, or 500 miles down the road, but it will be asked: "Are we there yet?"
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SNU MAGAZINE | Summer 2019
I am reminded of a conversation from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland… Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to. Alice: I don’t much care where. Cat: Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go. Well, we believe it matters where SNU is going and our Strategic Plan and Campus Master Plan have been developed to help provide a roadmap to the future. We are excited about where God is leading, and we believe that it is a daring destination. Our Strategic and Campus Master Plans are aspirational, will require resources far beyond anything we can envision at the present, and will transform the university as we serve students in the 21st century.
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