One of our favorite authors is back with a new must-read book, The Artist Academic. Here’s a summary of the book, which opens with a quote from the text.
While the future was uncertain, it was hopeful. The road ahead was foggy and I didn’t know exactly where it would lead, but I knew I wanted to stay on it. Somewhere in the distance, I could envision a career that didn’t just look good, but one that felt good. Regardless, I was enjoying the journey again.
Publisher’s note: This is an excerpt from Chapter Five (Props for the House) of Portrait of a Presidency: Patterns in My Life as President of The College of New Jersey (Koehler Books: 2025), R. Barbara Gitenstein, President Emerita, The College of New Jersey, Senior Fellow and Senior Consultant, Association of Governing Boards.
As I stepped into the Mission Church at Santa Clara University to honor the life of a popular, long-time campus leader who recently passed away, I found myself swept up in a vivid memory of this splendid Bay Area college campus, the oldest in California. It was here that on the morning of September 11, 2001, the university president gathered members of the campus community—students, faculty, and staff—in this same sanctuary to ponder, reflect, pray, and try to gain some understanding of the unthinkable tragedies that had taken place hours before in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.
A strong thesis defense is crucial for any doctorate or graduate student. Although researching and writing about your thesis topic can be a Herculean effort, the work doesn't end there. The thesis presentation is a crucial part of the dissertation defense in many academic programs.
Tom Hanks, Eileen Collins, Steve Jobs, Halle Berry, George Lucas…all famous names of people who have attended a community college.
Yet, even though these and many others have attended a community college, they are usually overlooked as a first-choice when considering higher education.