| Messages
To the Northeastern University community: Building greatness the Northeastern way: Two things are clear to me. . . First, we have come very far by creating our own destiny, not by copying others. Second, in order to achieve greatness we must continue to build upon our points of distinction. Cooperative education is among our greatest points of distinction. In most institutions, a dichotomy exists between study and practice. Northeastern combines the two in the belief that study and practice enlighten each other. This is the basis for cooperative education and we are the recognized leader. As this approach gains ground in higher education, others are trying to emulate us, so we have to remain ahead. How will we do it? Faculty and deans stress the need to further the integration of classroom learning with workplace experiences. This is one of the crucial connections that make cooperative education so powerful for students. There has been substantial progress made in this area and we will continue to explore innovative ideas for such integration. Students say they love co-op and they challenge us to make it ever richer. They are eager to find co-op positions that give them a competitive edge and allow them to take advantage of emerging fields and technologies. Fortunately, we exist in a time of unparalleled knowledge creation. We must capitalize on this opportunity to develop a broader array of co-op jobs that meet the expectations of our students and their employers. Globalization is breaking down the barriers of time and distance. This creates new possibilities for international co-op jobs. These positions would provide our students with access and skills to succeed in the new global economy. As future ambassadors of the university, we want our students to be as comfortable in Shanghai, Mumbai or Mexico as they are in Boston. Co-op is the anchor of experiential education and it is complemented by two other dimensions: service-learning and research. Service-learning allows students to work with community-based organizations addressing societal concerns. As an urban university this is part of our mission. Research enhances team learning and allows students to become knowledge creators. These dimensions, properly integrated, complete the experiential model. Excellence in the areas described above will fortify our position as the model of best practices in co-op and other forms of experiential learning. To sustain our leadership, we also have to provide the higher education community with the theoretical underpinnings of the approach and justification of this as the standard. I have asked Arts and Sciences dean Jim Stellar to lead this effort. I am certain he will be reaching out to others for assistance because this is something we must do together. I welcome any ideas you may have regarding these matters. Please don't hesitate to send them along to president@neu.edu Joseph E. Aoun | |