A Time of Transition
by Stephen J. Kopp
Column in Marshall Magazine, Autumn 2005

At the crossroad of total interdisciplinary convergence lies Truth. Its meaning is revealed at the frontiers of discovery, where the contrived distinctions between the arts, sciences and humanities cease to exist. At this interface between reality and possibility, the vistas of unlimited opportunity are unveiled to the prepared mind.

I have been asked numerous times about my vision for Marshall University. The question I prefer to discuss is the collective vision WE have for the future. I believe that creativity can solve almost any problem but we must know where we are going.

That begins with a self-defined design for our future. We need to imagine it. We need to expect it. And then, we need to dedicate ourselves fully to it. Only then will our future manifest. This process is a shared journey, one of discovery and commitment.

Accepting this challenge involves risk. It means dedicating ourselves to a future that compels change. It means discomfort, accepting the inherent uncertainty, ambiguity and sudden opportunities that always emanate from such transitions. It means committing to becoming better and better at what we do, continuing to learn, and to explore new horizons and possibilities.

Our journey is neither for the timid nor the feeble. It requires stamina, and the resolve and courage to chart new paths and overcome adversity. It requires a relentless dedication to seeing our vision fulfilled. It means acting on new opportunities, while overcoming novel and unfamiliar impediments.

As we plan, it is important to be mindful of the shifting landscape before us. Predicting the future is at best an inexact art. Even so, I have taken the liberty to share five perspectives in the bulleted paragraphs, which are intended to help clarify some of the challenges that I believe lie ahead.

• More than ever before, the commerce of ideas will dominate the future. Opportunity will favor the prepared mind that can integrate and think critically and apply these ideas creatively and innovatively to create new areas of economic enterprise and advantage. We can expect that preparing our graduates to compete and succeed globally will be an ever-present challenge and responsibility.
    
• If we aim for perfection, it serves as a catalyst for the continuing examination of what we are doing, how we are doing and how we can improve and become better. Excellence is earned. If we want to excel, what we are doing must inspire and be worth our very best; otherwise, why do it?
    
  
• The future will belong to institutions of higher learning that think, act and function integratively. How we prepare and transition ourselves for this new order will determine the nature and extent of the opportunities open to us.
    
• Our future is limited only by our imagination, our willingness to plan and our commitment to making that plan reality. To fulfill the promise of a better future means charting a course, our course, amidst an almost infinite array of possibilities.
    
• Lastly, the future will belong to universities that can solve the following conundrum: how to integrate what we know about human learning and capitalize on the vast potential afforded by technology to advance the productivity and quality of thinking and learning achieved by students, and do so at lower cost, while expanding access to college to a much larger cross-section of society.

We stand at a crossroads. The future lies ahead. The vision resides in our hearts and our minds. It will be shaped by our imagination, aspirations and strategies for accomplishing them. I welcome your comments and ideas as we set course to fulfill the promise of a better future.