Interview with Dr. Monica Ferrini, Dean of COSH( continued)
academic excellence. Financial sustainability is crucial. Ensuring student success by making CDU more student-focused. These strategies will elevate our status and increase our recognition. We are already gaining recognition for our expertise in biomedical sciences. The CDU Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences ranked Number 1 by the reputable website bestvalueschools. org,( https:// www. bestvalueschools. org / mastersin-biomedical-sciences /. We surpassed many renowned institutions in the nation. They looked at the value of the program in terms of cost and program quality and noted that the program has a high graduation rate and a comprehensive curriculum.
To gain national recognition, we must demonstrate our capabilities and potential for growth. We need to increase our efforts in branding the university and showcasing our ability to produce a new generation of graduates who embody CDU’ s mission. We must cultivate a culture that embraces our values and mission, thereby increasing our impact.
In your presentation entitled Leadership and Vision for the Future presented to CDU students and faculty, what was your central thesis highlighting future growth opportunities?
During my presentation, I focused on the University’ s strategic planning and assessment, with a central thesis of enhancing academic excellence and creating a conducive environment for student growth. One of my interests is developing more certificate programs to quickly make students employable while still pursuing their education. I believe that we can offer doctoral degrees to these students, enabling them to progress from one degree to the next and achieve success. degrees.
Currently, we are working together with community colleges and high schools to introduce a new program aimed at creating accelerated pathways for students. Beginning in their junior year of high school, students will be mentored in career pathways that enable them to quickly graduate and earn a higher education degree. At CDU, our focus is on providing students with degrees that are highly sought after in the job market.
We prioritize financial sustainability for both the University and our students, as it is crucial for our growth. To achieve this, we recognize the importance of providing scholarships to our students. Along with developing and adapting our programs, we actively seek more grant opportunities to offer student scholarships.
Additionally, we are working with foundations to establish a scholarship fund. The CZI Foundation has generously provided funds for our Genetic Counseling Program and Biomedical Science Enrichment Program( BSEP). Furthermore, the BSEP has secured grant funding from Kaiser and Hologic. These opportunities expand the horizons for our students and pave the way for them to pursue biomedical science careers in biotech, biopharma, and industry-related fields.
The remarkable progress and influence of both the College and the University fill me with joy. The potential for our students and the future of the institution are vast.
One of the major issues I notice today in higher education is that paying off student loans is very difficult, and some students cannot continue pursuing higher education because of the cost. It’ s important to look at the pulse of the environment we live in now, where many students want something that is faster to obtain so that they can start working or move forward more quickly in their
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 27