State of the U
State of the U: Legacy
As a boy, I watched with raptured fascination as my father blew cigarette smoke rings, piercing them with long, thin smoke arrows. His two-pack-a-day habit was a perpetual presence in my impressionable life, and I often fetched his pack for him.
Continue Reading Fall 2021 State of the U
State of the U: Activism
In my hometown of Chicago, Illinois, along the course of North to South Ashland Avenue, the house numbers mirror each other end to end, so that if you folded a city map in half the addresses would align, but that is where the resemblance stops.
Continue Reading Spring 2021 State of the U
State of the U: Perseverance
Not long ago, I learned of a woman named Mary whose husband was in a care facility. COVID-19 rules and health safety concerns kept the two apart, and she could only see him if she stood outside his window. Their hands pressed against the glass, Mary’s unwavering desire to touch her husband, look deep into his eyes and be with him grew stronger each day.
Continue Reading Fall 2020 State of the U
State of the U: Assurance
On March 17, the University of Southern Indiana made an unprecedented decision to close its campus as COVID-19 continued its rapacious spread around the world and across our nation. The decision was both an easy one to make and a challenging one to accomplish. Easy because nothing is more important that the health and wellbeing of USI’s campus community—our students, faculty, staff and visitors.
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State of the U: Perspective
As I talked to a group of students in the breezeway between UC East and West one day, I saw Gretchen out of the corner of my eye, struggling as she made her way across campus. I’d seen her before, navigating crowded sidewalks and hallways as she piloted from place to place, the confident tapping of her probing cane resonating purpose and pride. But this time something was different. Something was off. Her steering skills seemed uncertain. Her terra firma,somehow now foreign, compelled me to go to her.
Continue Reading Fall 2019 State of the U
State of the U: Education
Dr. Ronald S. Rochon speaks on the purpose and role of education in society.
In your opinion, what is the value of higher education?It’s transformative for both the individuals pursuing an education and the communities they will one day serve. For those seeking intellectual capital and upward mobility, the higher ed path offers the opportunity to discover who they are and what they want out of life by exposing them to new thoughts and new ways of doing. They, in turn, apply that knowledge to communities, both domestic and international. This is essential to the advancement of society and made possible through collaboration between institutions and communities.
Continue Reading Spring 2019 State of the U
Introducing President Ronald S. Rochon
There is something telling about a man who stops his car in the pouring rain to assist a turtle by lifting it off the road. Add to that scene the fact that he’s wearing a suit and the frightened turtle tried to “spray” him, and you start to understand this is a man who knows no bounds when it comes to making a difference.
Continue Reading Fall 2018 State of the U
Office of the President