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 This is a significant personal anniversary as well
because 2020 also marks five years since the Board of Trustees
selected me to become the president of Lincoln College.
In 2015, Lincoln College was at a crossroads.
The two-year junior college model that the school adopted in 1929 at
the beginning of the depression was no longer practical. For Lincoln
College, the financial trajectory was clear and it was not one that
was going to end well for the school or the community.
Our student body was more diverse than it had ever been, reflecting
a new and different world. They had already left our old educational
model behind and we had to catch up with them. The path forward
required that both the College and the greater community embrace
change.
The Lincoln and Logan County community can ill-afford losing the $59
million in annual economic impact that Lincoln College represents.
It touches everyone in the community, even those who believe they do
not have a direct connection to Lincoln College.
Now, five years later, I am optimistic about our future and about
the positive impact that a revitalized Lincoln College has and will
continue to have on our community.
Every step of the way, I have been encouraged by the support of
forward-thinking community leaders who recognize not only the
economic importance of Lincoln College, but who also understand how
Lincoln and Logan County benefit from our diverse student body.
I am proud that, as we move forward, we have been able to attract
record numbers of local students. Young people from Logan and
surrounding counties have been choosing Lincoln College. They are
not just accepting, but embracing a diverse world.
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Students and their families understand that Lincoln College
prepares them for a changing workplace. Our students graduate with a significant
advantage over those who have not had the opportunity in college to collaborate
with people of varied backgrounds and experience.
This year we welcomed our first international students from China. In an
increasingly global world, Lincoln will benefit immensely from the connections
we are making with future leaders of the world’s second largest economy.
I would be lying if I said it has been an easy journey during these last five
years. But I do know that we had to begin this journey and along the way we have
found unexpected rewards. Enrollment is up by 29% since 2015, and students now
have options to stay here to complete their bachelor or master’s degree and
athletically compete for four years.
Beyond the economic impact, a local college should provide its host community
with educational opportunities. Our bachelor’s degree programs are already
attracting adult students from the Lincoln area.
As we grow our graduate degree programs and expand our Accelerated Bridge to
Education (ABE) program on the Lincoln Campus, we can give area residents the
credentials they need to break through the glass ceiling that so often blocks
advancement for working people without a degree.
I look forward to the day when nearly every Logan County resident is taking
advantage of the educational opportunities we can provide.
Higher education today faces significant challenges. Lincoln College is no
exception. But, five years in, I believe we are seeing the benefits of the
difficult choice our trustees made in 2015 to change course and boldly move
forward into the 21st century.
[Dr. David Gerlach, President,
Lincoln College]
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