ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605240014
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
THE COMMUNITY at large should join Hollins College in heartily welcoming Janet Rasmussen, who comes from Nebraska highly recommended as the choice for next president of the women's college.
Part of the mission she has accepted in taking the job is to articulate a message that potential students and their parents need to hear: A liberal arts education remains relevant in today's world of leaping technological advances. Then Rasmussen must assure it is relevant for the students who enroll.
She isn't coming to Hollins as a savior. No need for that. The college was able to attract a candidate of her caliber in good part because her predecessor, Maggie O'Brien, is leaving the institution in good health. It boasts a $61 million endowment, is well on its way to reaching a $41 million fund-raising goal for capital projects, and is able to offer $4 million a year in student financial aid, fully a quarter of its annual operating budget.
These are solid numbers for a private, undergraduate liberal arts college for women - what some might see as an anachronism. As private liberal arts colleges nationwide struggle not just with the costs of higher education but also with the prospect of declining admissions, Rasmussen's greatest challenge will be attracting good and better students - and keeping them.
In a general way, this means underscoring the value of exposure to the great ideas of humanity, the events that have shaped nations and cultures and the masterpieces of art and music and literature that reveal the soul of civilizations. Such an education hones skills needed as much in today's rapidly changing world as ever before: the ability to read and understand, to express ideas, to think critically.
Practical knowledge is essential, of course. But students who have learned how to learn can acquire such knowledge as needed. The pace of change in the computer age suggests new skills will have to be learned continually.
In a more specific way, Rasmussen will need to help Hollins buttress its marketable niches beyond single-sex schooling (such as in creative writing and international curriculum) while developing new differentiating strengths.
Hers isn't merely a marketing job. More important in increasing the competition for admissions will be the fresh attention Rasmussen can give to the life of the college community and to the quality of the teaching, which are the core of a liberal arts education. In this endeavor, we wish her great success.
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