SUNY New Paltz President Darrell P. Wheeler shared an innovative view on public higher education’s future as this year’s featured speaker for the Dennis O’Keefe Lecture Series, presented by the Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library.
Wheeler used his talk, titled “Public Higher Education at the Crossroads,” to outline ways in which he hopes higher education will evolve in the coming years to meet the changing needs of our students and society more broadly.
“Innovation, creativity and diversity must guide our approach in everything we do,” he said. “The curriculum we teach has to be adaptable to what we’re seeing on the outside. This needs to be a dynamic, living experience, and I’m here to provide a road map.”
Wheeler discussed ideas for collaboration between public higher education institutions, federal and state governments, and industry to bolster student opportunities, and provide avenues for campus communities to be a value added in their society.
He affirmed that this work at SUNY New Paltz must remain rooted in the twin priorities of preparing students for career success and providing them with the critical thinking skills necessary to serve and strengthen their communities.
“We are faced with struggles that have lasted for generations, and we have a responsibility to prepare our students to be at the forefront of dismantling these situations,” he said. “We must encourage our students to think critically in finding solutions to help the communities around us.”
Wheeler connected his goals for present-day students to his own professional journey in healthcare and education to his vision. Prior to assuming the leadership role at New Paltz, he had worked for more than 30 years as a teacher, research and community partner.
“Higher education, like healthcare, must always have a person-centered approach,” he said. “We want to build a cadre of deep-thinking students, as well as faculty and staff, who are collectively working on a set of problems that address basic human needs.”
Wheeler concluded his remarks by issuing a call for all in higher education to help carry and amplify the message that, in 21st century American life, a college degree is as important and valuable as it has ever been.
“Each and every one of us must find ways to stay engaged in the work of demonstrating how and why we matter in communities,” he said. “We must leverage our core strengths as storytellers to show that higher education has value.”
About the Dennis O’Keefe Lecture
The O’Keefe Lecture is sponsored by the Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library. Since 2007, the Friends have honored library staff member Dennis O’Keefe with an annual fall lecture, always open to the public, that celebrates O’Keefe’s intellectual curiosity, range of interests, and public spirit.
