A BOLD VISION Throughout her first year as President, Dr. Tanuja Singh focused on laying the groundwork for the exciting next chapter for the University of Indianapolis. Now, halfway through her second year in office, Dr. Singh and her administrative team are implementing For the Future
What do you see as the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing higher education today? The upcoming “demographic cliff,” caused by the declining birth rates in the U.S., will continue to create challenges for colleges and universities as the traditional college-going student population shrinks. Additionally, the college-going rate is declining in many states, including in Indiana, where it currently stands at 53%. Finally, for an institution like ours that proudly serves populations where many students are the first in their families to go to college, financial constraints can often create an additional barrier. We must commit to making sure that education remains relevant, flexible, and accessible. We are motivated to be a university that is intensely focused upon relevance, innovation, and impact. In fact, we have updated both our mission and vision statements to reflect our commitment to these ideals. We are promising to be a university that “will be the institution of choice for a diverse group of learners who wish to engage with the world and enrich their lives through relevant and impactful education, and are empowered to transform the world with their knowledge and skills— Anywhere. Anytime. For life. ” Our new strategic plan commits to these ideas.
her bold vision for the University’s future through the University’s new strategic plan: Engage. Enrich. Empower. Transform. In this Q&A, she shares her thoughts on the unique challenges and exciting opportunities facing higher education in today’s rapidly evolving academic landscape. From fostering innovation to strengthening community connections, she discusses her vision for the University and why she believes higher education is more important than ever in preparing students for tomorrow’s interconnected and interdependent world. Why is higher education important to you; and why is it still important today? Higher education is one of the most consequential factors in defining someone’s life trajectory, it certainly was in my own. Higher education helps develop higher-order thinking skills which include complex problem solving, analytical and systems thinking, and teamwork. The most important dilemmas we, as leaders in the space, must solve are ensuring that higher education is relevant, that it is impactful, and that it is helping our graduates prepare for not just what the world needs today but what it will need well into the future.
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UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
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