Ventures Summer 2018 | Page 4

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE This summer marks an important milestone. June 11 is the 10th anniversary of Villa Julie College becoming Stevenson University. This milestone is an opportunity to reflect upon the debt of gratitude the Stevenson community owes to the founders of Villa Julie College. It is also a moment to reflect upon the values of Stevenson and Villa Julie. Our close-knit community of caring faculty, staff, and students tie our past to our present. Similarly, our efforts to help students develop professionally mark another important continuity. Every day, our faculty and staff help our students experience opportunities to grow, develop, and reach their fullest potential—just as they did when we were founded 70 years ago. This heritage has produced many successes. In the past year, we successfully completed our Middle States reaccreditation process, and, in May, nearly 800 traditional and Stevenson University Online graduates crossed the stage to receive their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As part of our focus on creating career connections for students, we are introducing five professional minors this fall. You will read about these and more in this issue. Since our last issue of Ventures, the university has renovated facilities for student activities in Garrison Hall, creating spaces for student clubs and organizations, a satellite fitness center, and facilities for our new esports club. We also created new green space in front of Rockland Center and Garrison Hall. This green space provides opportunities for communal gatherings as well as a walkable connection between our residence halls, Rockland Center, Garrison Hall, and the Brown School of Business and Leadership. Last, I am pleased to share that the first phase in the development of the Rosewood site is complete with the demolition of 20 buildings on the site. We are now working with the State of Maryland to prepare for site grading that will allow us to develop roadways, athletic fields, and recreational facilities. As we say here, it’s a great time to be a Mustang! I hope you enjoy this issue of Ventures and learning more about your university. Elliot L. Hirshman, Ph.D. 2 | VENTURES/SUMMER 2018