During tumultuous economic times, our foundations of trust and security can be shaken. Some prospective and even current college students, along with their parents, may wonder about the actual usefulness of a college education in a difficult global and local recession. It’s important to note, however, that a recent national labor study shows the unemployment rate for college graduates is half that of the total unemployment rate – in other words, a college degree and education is a great hedge against joblessness, not to mention the benefits of building one’s mind, heart and character for our ever-changing world.

A related issue for many people in looking at college is the financial strength of the institution for the future. As you read about large planned budget cuts and required reduced enrollments at state universities, please note that Friends University is not dependent upon state revenues or state taxes for our existence and success. The legacy of the consistent leadership at Friends is that we have stewarded our resources well, so we can weather difficult times without compromising our quality or our commitment to you. In looking back over the 100+ years of storied history of this Quaker-heritage institution, it’s quite evident that, while other institutions of higher education may bemoan the loss of the good ol’ days, Friends University is in the midst of looking to the future as the best and brightest of times, noting that the last decade has seen our greatest growth, recognition and financial strength.

A university or college is more than just finances and a campus – its core centers around the academic offerings and the culture of learning/intellectual engagement among faculty and students. Our faculty members are highly effective teachers who care about the success and transformation of their students, from their freshman year until they graduate. And I just don’t say that as a blatant, unsupportable marketing pitch because recent nationally compared data from our Individual Development of Educational Assessment (IDEA) student ratings indicate our faculty consistently excelled as a whole in the classroom. Surveys and conversations with students indicate that they are sold and sealed on their educational experience at Friends University with the small classes and relationship-oriented professors, who invest in the lives of their students inside and outside the classroom in many varied ways.

Speaking of success, that term gets bandied about frequently in our world these days, and it means many different things to different people. Here at Friends, the success we want to provide is in helping you become that person that you are supposed to be – and we ask and insist that you imagine no less (“Imagine the Difference”). Part of the transformation process at Friends in particular is in helping students learn who they are; whose they are; what they were created to become; and how they might engage the world with their talents, skills and abilities. The success that results from that discovery and intrepid journey to your future is based around the security of knowing oneself and the significance of knowing one’s place in the world. A liberal arts education with a faith-based values context is the education the world needs most right now. It provides the breadth and depth of knowledge, problem solving and critical thinking skills to function in all sorts of situations … and it is essential in structuring your world to answer the questions that we pose from day one in our First-Year Experience course for all incoming freshmen:

1. Who am I? Who do I think I am? Whose am I?
2. Where am I in this world, globally and locally? What’s the context of my life and heritage?
3. What then must I do? What is my appropriate response/calling in this challenging, complex world? What are my duties to others, beyond myself?

We don’t pretend to know the answers to those questions for you, but we can help you reflect and address them with a holistic education, not one with a bunch of holes. We all have to answer those questions somehow, either intentionally or subconsciously, and they become even more pressing in our globalized world. Are you game? You’ll never be the same … Join us now and get on the journey to your security, significance and success.