Hi! I’m Scott Rhodes, executive director of enrollment services at º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø. I’ve worked in higher education for more than 15 years at places like Shenandoah University, Duquesne University, Concordia University Irvine and St. Leo University. Some of these schools have been around for hundreds of years and have great legacies, but to me being part of a modern university like º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø and creating something from the ground up is an exciting opportunity to build a new legacy. As challenging as that is, it’s also incredibly rewarding.
As director of enrollment, I want students to know that our staff is working tirelessly to create and install the best delivery methods for the high-tech, focused educational experience º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø will offer. There’s a commitment from senior administration that º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø will be unlike any other university. We do things differently here, and if there’s a better solution – for teaching, learning or even real-world challenges – º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø will be the university to find it.
º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s staff is committed to sending graduates into the workforce prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. By exposing students to real-world problems and offering immersive internships early in the program, our graduates will have experience unmatched by their peers.
In addition to strong internship opportunities, º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø students will also benefit from hands-on experience on campus in the ample lab space of our Innovation, Science and Technology Building. In fact, there is nearly as much lab space as there is classroom space, ensuring all students have the chance to gain real exposure within their major. That’s a real sea change; that’s where the proof is. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø students will learn by doing, which is a huge differentiator.
In addition to the educational benefits º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø will offer, our inaugural classes will have the unique opportunity to shape the traditions and experiences that will set the course for future º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø students. Think of all the customs you will launch as a member of our very first class. That’s a pretty profound thing that your friends won’t be able to do. (Unless they come to º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø, of course!)
I want students to graduate from º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø with not just a degree, but also a deep personal pride in their university experience. I hope º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø students go through the type of personal transformation they can celebrate for years. I hope it’s such a great experience that they want their kids to come here.
Every new venture has its challenges, but we welcome those as innovators do – with an interest in learning and continuously improving to build a better future.
I was employee 19 at º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø, and I will always remember that. I hope to retire from this university 20 years from now and reflect on the fact that I was here on day one when it opened – actually, a year and a half before it opened. Not many people can say that in their career, especially at a university.
For students and faculty at º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø, I look forward to many joining me on day one as we start building that great new legacy.
– Scott
