From The President: A Commitment to Innovate

Here at the University of New Haven, the harbingers of change are our students.

At my inauguration in 2005, I looked to what was then the future, envisioning the kind of institution that the University of New Haven could become. Today — thanks to the dedication of countless individuals — I see a University where we have accomplished so much, a University that is more vibrant than it has ever been.

Still, it feels like we are just getting started.

As we prepare to mark the University’s historic first one hundred years in 2020, there have been many opportunities to reflect on the past and to consider what our second century may hold. One thing is clear: I am just as excited about what lies ahead as I was nearly 15 years ago.

Our commitment to innovate positions us to be at the forefront of preparing students for a future that beckons with boundless potential.Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D.

I continue to spend a lot of time looking forward, contemplating what higher education could look like five, 10, or perhaps 50 years from now. Without a doubt, the higher education landscape is rapidly changing. Here at the University of New Haven, the harbingers of change are our students.

In this issue’s cover story, you will meet four University of New Haven Innovation Fellows who are part of a select global program that is based at Stanford University. Their passion informs us as we endeavor to build the university of the future, one where we focus on cultivating competencies instead of accumulating academic credits, do away with desks and chairs in favor of collaborative classes, and replace lectures and majors with learning across a multitude of disciplines.

Ultimately, our commitment to innovate — a hallmark of the University since our founding — positions us to be at the forefront of preparing students for a future that beckons with boundless potential.

I see a University where the possibilities are endless — and equally exhilarating — as you will undoubtedly see in the pages that follow.

With best wishes,

Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D.
President