{"id":57567,"date":"2024-08-23T16:54:51","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T20:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=57567"},"modified":"2024-08-26T16:49:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T20:49:20","slug":"emus-huxman-shares-goals-updates-at-presidential-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2024\/emus-huxman-shares-goals-updates-at-presidential-address\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU\u2019s Huxman shares goals, updates at Presidential Address"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When EMU\u2019s generous alumni are asked about why they choose to give back to the school, their answers are \u201coverwhelmingly the same,\u201d said President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their response, by and large, is that \u201cEMU changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEMU changed my life in terms of values, in terms of lifelong friends, in terms of where I met my spouse, in terms of how we are raising our children,\u201d Huxman said, echoing those answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s one of the reasons that we get up, even though our days are very, very full, and do what we do,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe have this incredible honor of walking with students on this formative journey in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huxman spoke on the transformative power of higher education and the importance of developing students as \u201cwhole people\u201d as one of four area college and university presidents at a panel discussion on Thursday, Aug. 22. The annual Presidential Address, hosted by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, also featured remarks from Mr. Charlie King<\/strong>, interim president of James Madison University; Dr. David Bushman<\/strong>, president of Bridgewater College; and Dr. John Downey<\/strong>, president of Blue Ridge Community College. The sold-out event was held at EMU\u2019s Martin Chapel and attended by about 100 guests. This marked the first time it has been held on a college campus, and will rotate between schools in future years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quartet of college presidents was given an opportunity to share their goals for the coming year and provide an in-depth update to the crowd of business and community leaders. Huxman is chair-elect<\/a> of the local chamber of commerce and will officially begin her term as chair in October 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left to right: Presidents from Bridgewater College, James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College, and Eastern Mennonite University met to discuss their goals, challenges and opportunities for the coming year. Rebekah Kuller, seated on the right, served as moderator for the panel discussion.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Huxman outlined two evergreen goals at EMU. One of those perennial goals is to go \u201call in\u201d on delivering \u201can exceptional student experience year in and year out,\u201d she said. The other goal is to lean into EMU\u2019s five-year strategic plan<\/a>, Pathways of Promise<\/em>, which opens new pathways of access, achievement, action, and alignment for EMU students and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university is in the second year of its first-ever comprehensive campaign for people, programs, and facilities, and is pivoting to raise more money for financial aid. While the school has seen its graduate enrollment increase by 50%, it has missed its enrollment targets at the undergraduate level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd so we are doubling down on additional ways in which we can get people to take a second, a third, and a fourth look at EMU because we are not as expensive as you think,\u201d Huxman told those gathered at the Presidential Address (the average net cost for an EMU student in 2022-23 was just $15,309).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roughly 100 people attended the sold-out event.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n