Comments from the Community
Read some of the comments offered by the university community on the future of William & Mary.
Future of Knowledge
"My hope is that as W&M professors impart knowledge to the current students, they will be as open-minded as my professors were." ~Lewis, alumna/us
Future of Service
"It's critical now more than ever to instill this idea in students--to not only strive for excellent scholarship, but an imperative to give back to a wider community at the global, national, regional, or local level." ~Kendall, alumna/us
Future of Work
"I think it is critical that W&M has diversity in regards to its professors who have a great impact on student thinking." ~Virginia, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
“I hope W&M stays focused on critical thinking and strong writing skills." ~Christina, parent
Future of Service
"To be an institution that stands out on the service front, W&M needs to mold itself into the community we would like to see in the greater world." ~Ethan, alumna/us
Future of Work
It'd be great if there was more of a program for students interested in policy research (since a lot of us go into that field) that connects 'softer' research skills with data science/qualitative research." ~Susannah, alumna/us
Future of Work
"As a senior corporate leader, the skill gap I encounter most frequently is problem-solving ability. There is a tendency to leap to tactics instead of spending time on problem identification. W&M's rigorous curriculum encouraged me to be intellectually curious and its emphasis on writing helped build my capacity to think logically, both of which are critical to problem solving." ~Sharon, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"It is critical that students learn to debate issues respectfully when views differ and be able to move on to accomplish greatness." ~Sandra, alumna/us
Future of Service
"We need to devote resources to fundraising for teaching, research and experience for all students to learn about civic engagement and civic leadership." ~Dan, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"Respectful debate of the issues should be encouraged. As always, there are many sides to an issue. The skill of active listening, negotiation, and compromise needs to be actively taught and practiced." ~Jennifer, parent
Future of Work
"We need more faculty of color. We are below the national average for number we have on campus" ~Travis, student
Future of Service
"The future of service is about engaging fully with the dynamic nature of democracy and our individual and collective roles in it. As students serve their communities, my hope is that W&M will work to ensure that students develop holistic views about the needs in our society, how those needs came to be, and how to move forward to solve our biggest problems in the years ahead." ~Adam, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"What I would like to see from William & Mary as a pioneering institution is that its students can find their uniqueness and learn how to bring their own unique values to the world by cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets through the college experience." ~Taro, student
Future of Service
"Student Leadership should remain a key focus so after the fast 4-5 years these adults enter and help their society, themselves, and their families." ~Lynn, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"William & Mary should become a digital humanities powerhouse because computer science is very broad and connects to every part of liberal arts from biology to Hispanic studies." ~Martha, student
Future of Work
"I would like to see the College prioritize the hiring of faculty and staff of color and/or those from international backgrounds. In our ever-so-rapidly globalizing economy, it is vital for William & Mary students and alumni to decolonialize our understandings of every discipline and career path. Let us move beyond bureaucratic multiculturalism and recommit to building an inclusive, supportive environment that deserves the diversity of incoming students, faculty, and staff." ~Nairuti, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"Dr. Graves said at 1984 Commencement: I hope you realize the whole point of the last four years was to appreciate the connectedness of everything. That shaped my approach as a social science adjunct for 30+ years and should guide the structure of knowledge." ~Bruce, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"So many of the great new initiatives on campus are related to the concept of wisdom: COLL program, interdisciplinary research, focus on well-being, and many others. How might we explicitly elevate wisdom as an organizing principal and a primary goal of a W&M education? Doing so might enable unexpected connections and insights, enhanced clarity of purpose, and inspire all that we do on campus and beyond." ~Michael, faculty
Future of Knowledge
"W&M needs to ensure that it supports student and faculty research that is problem driven. Too much research at universities today is siloed into specific disciplines. Public universities need to do research that addresses real-world problems and that requires that researchers work across disciplines. Future knowledge breakthroughs will require multi-disciplinary thinking." ~Thomas, alumna/us
Future of Service
"We need to keep looking to the past, in order to learn from our mistakes, while also looking forward, contributing both locally and further afield. Community service should play a far greater role in the W&M experience (perhaps even by making it compulsory, at least in the first year). W&M should also continue bringing top speakers to campus - I was very impressed that there was a CNN town hall recently. It should encourage a culture of open, respectful debate, among students and faculty alike." ~Sofia, alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"Knowledge constitutes our most important mission. Imparting the tools with which to gain new knowledge through our particular blend of research and teaching should remain our highest goal. Teaching students how to communicate their own knowledge effectively, so that they can in turn teach others, endures as our lasting legacy in their lives." ~Kate, faculty
Future of Work
"It is critical that The College allow more flexibility for students to explore industry experience while taking classes by having a less rigid attendance policy for when opportunities outside of the classroom present themselves." ~Ashley, student
Future of Knowledge
"I support a balanced faculty of both "conservative" and "liberal" voices. It is critical that college students be taught robust, respectful debate that includes both sides of the political aisle." ~Meg, alumna/us
Future of Work
"As higher education becomes increasingly vocational and job placement focused, the importance of broad perspectives, and critical thinking and problem solving skills in the liberal arts tradition valued at William & Mary will become increasingly unique and valuable." ~Michael Arnold, Alumna/us
Future of Knowledge
"As much as technology is changing teaching and research, I hope that William & Mary is able to bridge the use of technology at the cutting edge without losing the commitment the institution has always demonstrated to the personal relationship. The humanity of the educational experience at W&M is part of what makes W&M a unique institution. I envision continued vibrant and dynamic relationships between students and faculty being developed and pushed from both sides." ~Marcy, alumna/us
Future of Work
"As a leadership coach for 15 years, I've seen that greater maturity leading to more complex meaning making is the foundational requirement for increased effectiveness, greater agility, and creating impact for the greater good. It's essentially about upgrading the human operating system. There are ways of understanding, assessing and supporting the development of adults in this way. I believe W&M could play an important role in doing so in the lives of its students." ~Pam, Alumna
Future of Knowledge
"Further incorporation of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science into the culture of W&M would improve the outreach and research of W&M overall. VIMS is an extremely successful institution both in terms of its research and grants yet many students are unaware VIMS exists." ~Patricia, student
Future of Knowledge
"As the world becomes more open and interconnected, opportunities to express our relationships and interests become more fluidly intertwined with the nature of our business, academic, community, and home into new webs in social structure. As we look to the future, we should embrace these new doors being opened." ~Nikolai, student
Future of Work
"Diversity must not come just in the variety of the faculty's apparent backgrounds. Diversity must also appear in their methods of connecting with students and their own lived experiences. I have connected best with those faculty that are, in fact, least like myself." ~Jacob, student
