Greetings from the President
We ’ re moving a lot of ground – literally . Construction is going full swing at the Lombard campus . Most of the parking on the west side of Janse Hall has been disrupted or displaced in order to make room for the constant moving of construction equipment . Members of our business and student services offices have been temporarily relocated as their offices have been completely removed along with the roof section for the second floor .
The alcove section of the building that housed those offices in now a 15-foot-deep hole that will accommodate the new elevator . The elevator will provide access to all three floors of Janse Hall . When last I visited the construction , two backhoes were working carefully to achieve the correct depth . As they moved the earth back and forth , I couldn ’ t help to think about the last time construction commenced on the foundation of Janse Hall , some 60 years ago during the original construction .
1963 is the most important year in the history of Chiropractic since the founding of our profession in 1895 . It is the year signifying the opening of our profession upon new and boundless horizons . Our new two-million-dollar institution in the Lilac Capitol of the World is a living testimony of the infallibility of the premise upon which our profession is based .
These were the words penned by the editors of our 1963 yearbook . The year in which students , faculty , and staff moved from downtown Chicago to a “ very rural ” Lombard , Illinois . At that time , as a single purpose institution , there was a sense of boundless opportunity on the horizon .
During my last sojourn to the construction area , I had a chance to talk with the construction crew . The man responsible for the majority of the digging had been a long time Lombard resident . He had learned how to operate a backhoe from his father , who had actually founded the construction company . I was surprised to hear that he knew all about what we do here at the University . It turns out that his daughter is a nurse practitioner and is a big fan of complementary and alternative therapies . Jim said to me that he believes that there is room enough for all types of thought in health care . His comments were unsolicited and well informed . We went on to talk about how his daughter works in a very integrated system of health care providers with varied backgrounds and training . My response was that the last time anyone saw the dirt from the bottom of that hole , the world was a much different place . I ’ m sure that the authors of the 1963 yearbook would agree and be glad to see what opportunities those walls have supported all these years .
I continue to have more frequent conversations each week about how our students and graduates are able to bring additional value an expertise to the health care system in a very integrated way . National still attracts the types of students who seek out a better health care system and a better way to treat the human condition . To meet those needs we continue to ask much of them . Continued change and continued improvements necessitates a strong foundation . As in 1963 , with the new Lombard campus , the celebration of the future draws heavily on the traditions of success .
Esse Quam Videri
Joe Stiefel , MS , EdD , DC
President National University of Health Sciences