ODU President John Broderick gave his State of the University address to a packed house at the ODU Constant Center this morning. Among the many in attendance were Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, former Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, Delegates Lionell Spruill, Matthew James, Ron Villenueva, John Consgrove and Senator Harry Blevins.
Broderick laid out the strategic plan for the University:
- Providing students with the tools to succeed;
- Gain a national reputation through key academic programs and scholarship;
- Investing strategically to spur economic growth; and
- Build strong civic and community partnerships.
This last part was quite interesting to me as Broderick explained that the University has already launched the Business Gateway, which “provides a single entry point to the university’s intellectual capital, world-class infrastructure and innovative technologies.” They are launching a new program for the study of critical issues. Broderick explained that “this program will gather community leaders, business and industry heads, and our own faculty to identify and examine the most pressing challenges facing Hampton Roads today.”
Having the resources within this campus and not sharing them is simply not an option. We must honor the trust placed in us by parents, taxpayers, students, faculty, and donors to participate in intelligent thought and action for the common good.
But, we must also listen to and learn from the community. We must hear its concerns and bring to bear our resources to solve problems.
I hope that Broderick will make sure that the community – and not just the usual suspects – are at the table when these “pressing challenges” are identified; otherwise, I can pretty much write the list right now 😉
As a two-time graduate of ODU, I’m proud to see how far my alma mater has come. I look forward to what comes next.
Here are a couple of photos from this morning, courtesy of ODU photographer Chuck Smith. Click to enlarge
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
ODU should build an entrepreneurship program that would give promising graduates with innovative business plans a start-up grant of $5,000-$10,000.
As it is now, thousands of graduates are handed degrees that are of no value in the current market or for the foreseeable future. The Universities keep churning out worthless degrees and all we get are more unemployed; only now they have huge tuition loans to pay back.
An entrepreneurship program with grant money for new graduates would at least get these enthusiastic young minds to work for THEMSELVES, building new businesses.
Even if eighty percent of the start-ups fail withing the first five years, those twenty percent successes, will help rebuild our domestic manufacturing base.