No “off” switch on the innovation machine
The air may be hot and humid. The calendar may say July. And the temptation may certainly be to lounge away another lazy summer day.
But here at The Woods, our commitment to innovating and being forward-thinking as an institution does not take the season off. Or any season, for that matter.
Earlier this summer we announced that, here at WWU, students would have six new degree program offerings to choose from beginning with the upcoming academic year. New degree options include an Ed.D. in Adult Learning; Master of Arts in Psychology; Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Digital Filmmaking; Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Workforce Management; minor in Equine Media, and minor in Cybersecurity. These expanded course offerings will provide our students with more degree options to meet their professional goals, while developing skills that are in-demand by today’s employers.
Of course, academics are only one (very important) part of a quality college experience. What our students do outside the classroom is crucial to their wellbeing as well. Which is why earlier this year we appointed our first-ever Chief Student Experience Officer, a cabinet-level position to provide leadership to student affairs, admissions and marketing, working together to ensure excellence both in and out of the classroom. This innovative new position, which is becoming more standard across higher education, underscores our commitment at The Woods to aligning all aspects of the student experience.
And while these are examples of William Woods using innovation to stay abreast of the changing trends in today’s world of higher education, they are also consistent with our professions-oriented, student-centered institutional philosophy. Which is offering more unique degree programs that help attract potential students to WWU, putting an emphasis on providing them with the best college experience possible while they are students here, and making them more in-demand by today’s employers in our 21st Century economy when it comes time to graduate from here.
Simply put, innovation, professions-oriented and student-centered have always been, and will always be, hallmarks of the William Woods mission. You could say that, even after 152 years of service, when it comes to innovation, professions-oriented and student-centered, here at William Woods we are just getting warmed up! Kind of like a typical July day in Missouri.
Happy Summer!
Jeremy Moreland, Ph.D.
President
William Woods University