The Dynamic Student Scholarship - Hartwick College

From the President
The Power
of Impact.
Impact. Noun or verb, the essence of this word is
the same—it is the powerful or dramatic force
or effect that something or somebody has on
something or someone else.
It is a word I often hear when colleagues describe why the quality of
the experience—what happens in the classroom, in the fi eld, or on the
field—matters. There is nothing passive about impact. You might have
“little effect,” but you can never have “little impact.” It is all about power
and action, outcomes and results.
Impact: precisely the right word to describe the effect that Hartwick
teaching has on student learning; exactly the right word to describe the
effect that philanthropy has on learning and learners; just the right word to
describe the effect Hartwick learning has on a lifetime of accomplishment.
The circle of contemporary education stakeholders—educators,
students, families, accrediting bodies, the legislative and executive
branches of government—continues to grow and to increase their
demand for accountability. This demand has, predictably, led to efforts
to measure the outcomes associated with student learning, and to the
development of methods designed to prove that a student has learned
and, more specifically, has learned what was intended.
We can measure these types of outcomes, and we do. However, after
participating in various efforts to assess learning outcomes, I have drawn
this conclusion: You can only measure the true impact of a great liberal
arts education years after that milestone moment of Commencement.
A great liberal arts education—a Hartwick education—prepares you
to navigate a lifetime of unexpected professional challenges, years after
the last paper or performance has been graded. This truth is evidenced
by the remarkable careers of Ambassador George Bruno ’64 and Dr.
Gilbert Smith ’59. Early impact can be seen in the accomplishments of
the Freedman Prize winners, the Duffy Family Ambassador Scholarship
winners, and the Emerson International Internship Scholarship
awardees. Friends Judy and Allen H ’00 Freedman, alumni parents
Anne and John H ’00 Duffy, alumni Stephanie ’84 and David
’83 Long, forward-thinking Kellogg Society members, and generous
endowed scholarship donors make these experiences, and others,
possible. These supporters and others have a real and far-reaching impact
on Hartwick and our students, now and well into the future.
Want proof that great learning happens at Hartwick? That lasting
benefits come from this beginning? Measure for yourself the outcomes
in this edition of The Wick against a short and potent index: impact.
Best,
Webextra | Go to www.youtube.com/hartwickcollege to hear what President Drugovich told the Class of 2015 during Orientation 2011.
Of note, videos two and three, in which she explains her job as President and their job as Hartwick students.
2 | The Wick | Summer 2011