Photo by Rio Grande student Tammy Sharp

I often walked across the campus
during this year and realized that this
institution is a major economic driver
for the region. If not for Rio, there
would be thousands of individuals
in Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Vinton and
surrounding counties without access
to higher education within driving
distance. In the difficult economy
faced during this fiscal year, national
and state leaders reminded us
frequently that the way out of a bad
economy is an educated workforce.
Rio stands ready to serve.
Our identity is a continuous
demonstration of Rio’s investment
in people. As an open access
institution, we provide the gateway
to higher education that may
otherwise be unavailable to our
students. For those programs with
more stringent entry requirements,
we do everything possible to assure
student success upon acceptance.
At the same time, we value the
inherent value-added of a liberal
arts education. We want to prepare
our students for the professions
they serve, or those they enter upon
graduation. For some, workforce
development and liberal arts are
seen as competing forces. The
research proves just the opposite.
her so well for real world experiences. Apparently she was on an airplane
when someone experienced pain, the result of a heart attack. If it were not
for our graduate, that passenger may not be alive today; the “nurse” credits
our program for saving someone’s life through her own training. We clearly
invested well in that student, and the dividends are remarkable.
A popular Broadway play, Rent, includes a song which often goes through my
mind when looking at this year in review. The lyrics read:
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love?
How about love? Measure in love.
Seasons of love.
There is no doubt in mind that our trustees, faculty, staff and administrators
give “a lot of love” to the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community
College. So too, do our alumni, community members and other stakeholders.
I want to thank each of you for investing in all the people aligned with Rio;
your time, wisdom and gifts help us measure this year. There is so much more
to come in the future; thank you for your continued support and guidance.
We look forward to our next year—one we plan to look boldly into the future,
creating a transformational strategic plan entitled Decade of Dreams. We hope
you will be a part of that dream.
Very best regards,
Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D.
President
Albert Einstein wrote, “The value of
an education in a liberal arts college
is not the learning of many facts but
the training of the mind to think
something that cannot be learned
from textbooks.” Just as there are
intricate details within our arts or
fine woodworking projects, the mind
too is very complex. It is our job as
educators to stretch each mind to its
limits, and then open the door to the
myriad of new ideas and creativity
that emerge.
I recall seeing an email this year
from a graduate of the Holzer School
of Nursing. She was thanking the
director and faculty for preparing
2 2010 Annual Report – Investing in People