A FUTURE SO
BRIGHT
Q: We’ve heard you refer to the University
becoming a premier institution. What does that
entail? Is there a microcosm on campus that
demonstrates this?
A: One direct way to explain what we mean when
we say that this University is becoming a premier
institution is to talk about the Brooks Rehabilitation
College of Healthcare Sciences. It has proven
to be a best practice model of what potential
Jacksonville University holds. We hot-housed
the concept of this University’s future, including
the breakthrough moment creating a School of
Applied Health Sciences. Kinesiology, occupational
therapy, speech pathology, mental health
counseling, data analytics and health informatics,
and more to come.
This process began with us sitting down
with Brooks Rehabilitation, Florida Blue, the
Mayo Clinic, Baptist Health, and others to talk
collectively about where the market is going. We
aimed, in five years, to establish Jacksonville
University as the premier health educator in
the region. And there’s no question that we’ve
accomplished that. No one else in the state of
Florida has returned NCLEX (nursing entrance
exam) scores for five consecutive quarters with
a one hundred percent pass rate. No one else
has 400 healthcare industry partners. Our Brooks
Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences,
under the leadership of Provost Dr. Christine
Sapienza and her hugely talented team, sets the
bar high, and the beneficiaries of all this progress
are students. As Brooks continues to progress,
expand and improve, so does the entire University.
Q: Terms like “silos” and “ivory tower” are
often attached to higher education. What’s your
philosophy for how to avoid these pitfalls and
create greater interconnectivity?
A: During my corporate career, I thought higher
education leaders had become accustomed to
silos, which I believe rob an organization of its
natural agility, creativity, speed and resiliency.
This type of mindset simply isn’t conducive to
strategic partnerships and excellence.
Here, we were intentional about creating a
mosaic of partnerships. Whenever we explored
the possibility of a new partnership, we first
asked what the University could offer them, our
partners. It’s not about us going out to ask for
XYZ, but genuinely seeking how this University
can help others. This quote gets repeated a lot
around here, including by me: “Don’t think less of
yourself, think of yourself less.” That’s the goal,
and the sharpest tool we have to accomplish that
is through partnerships and talented people.
PHOTO BY:
AGNES LOPEZ
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