From the president Is Mercyhurst a liberal arts institution or one committed to professional preparation? If you immediately said “it’s both !” you truly grasp what Mercyhurst is all about.
We don’t think it’s necessary to make “either-or” choices. We prefer the “both-and” approach.
We don’t have to choose between valuing the liberal arts and providing career preparation; both have a role. We don’t have to choose between being a beautiful “ivory tower” and being engaged in the world; we can be both. We don’t have to choose between ofering world-renowned academic programs and providing opportunity education; there’s a place here for both. We don’t have to choose between arts and athletics – we can do both. Not only can we do both – we do both, in Erie, in North East, at the Booker T. Washington Center, in Corry, in Taos, N. M., in Dungarvan, Ireland. Everywhere Mercyhurst goes, you can see this “both-and” approach.
It’s what makes Mercyhurst special, and it’s what makes Mercyhurst graduates special. Because of their professional preparation and their engagement in the world, they are ready to contribute on the job the day they are hired. Because of their liberal arts education, they can take a broad perspective and “see around the corner,” a crucial skill in the fast-changing work world. Because of the emphasis on service in their education, they take responsibility and demonstrate leadership. This is the vision of a Mercyhurst education. Everything we do is focused on the reconciliation of these apparent opposites to help create the well-balanced, thoughtful, vital and ethical leaders of tomorrow. The student-athletes who organized last month’s EnduROWthon are a great example. They study in some of our most demanding programs, and they compete successfully with top rowing teams at places like the Dad Vail and Henley regattas. But they went even further, meticulously organizing the 24-hour drive that set Erie’s frst Guinness World Records. In the process, they raised funds not only for their own trips, but also for the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation and Project Kenya. From the quiet overnight hours when the rowers doggedly pursued their goal to the raucous fnal hours when the whole campus was caught up in the quest, I couldn’t have been prouder of our students. But that’s just one example of what Mercyhurst students are doing. I hope you’ll read through this magazine to see what other students and alumni have been up to. Then please stay connected with us between issues by checking out our revamped website at mercyhurst.edu and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
God bless you, and God bless Mercyhurst.
Thomas J. Gamble, Ph.D. President, Mercyhurst University
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