My April Blog: “Toward a Learning Institution”

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

In continuing our conversation about the future, this month’s blog, “Toward a Learning Institution,” will focus on developing a culture of creativity, curiosity, and engagement through institutional learning and collaboration.

I am thrilled to see a dialogue beginning to take shape in response to my last blog, “Thrive in the New World”—some of which directly touch on the topic I planned to explore. Two critical questions posed by members of the Baruch community provide the starting point:

• How do we bridge the pragmatism of solving immediate problems and the optimism inspired by dreaming of a better future?
• How do we fully leverage our intellectual horsepower as an academic institution?

As we formulate grand ideas for the future, I recognize the hardships and challenges many in our community are suffering, the social disparities that are amplified by current circumstances, and the feelings of anguish—even outrage—as the College struggles to catch up with the new reality that was thrust upon us. While we have learned lessons of resilience from these experiences—not just as passive recipients but as collaborating architects of a more robust future—we need to pay close attention to the pitfalls within our system that could stymie our progress.

Intentional, persistent, and energizing collaboration will be key. By learning to bridge, learning to leverage, and learning to find challenges bigger than ourselves, we will expand our capacity and shape the future to which we aspire.

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Sincerely,

S. David Wu
President, Baruch College