2008 Woodie Awards
Seeing opportunity in UI's challenges
Alyssa Cashman - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: Metro
UI provost candidate Wallace Loh began his speech Thursday afternoon with a reference to the cartoon strip "Peanuts."
He referred to a character's description of challenge as an "insurmountable opportunity."
And so Loh began his speech on the "insurmountable opportunities" facing the UI.
For an hour Thursday, he spoke to an audience of around 20 in the Old Capitol and answered anonymous questions from the audience members. He was the last of five finalists to visit the UI.
Loh is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Seattle University. Born in China and raised in Peru, Loh moved to the United States nearly 45 years ago.
With an extensive résumé and many ideas about how a university should be run, he outlined the challenges and realities that the UI will have to face.
( Daily Iowan TV video feature )
"The fundamental purpose [of a public university] is to create a future that will make life better for the citizens of that state," Loh said.
He presented four realities that universities must deal with - economic, demographic, political, and globalization.
In terms of economics, Loh said the UI must deal with decreasing investment by the government in higher education. The biggest problem is that universities are now starting to become subject to market forces as they become more and more privatized, he said.
"Can we fulfill our public purpose if increasingly subjected to market forces?" Loh asked. "We're deluding ourselves if we think it won't affect us."
A "demographic revolution" also places demands on universities which Loh says must be met.
"In 30 years, there will be no minorities," Loh said. "[Immigrants] are the future of this state."
Switching gears, he also reflected on the political issues facing the UI.
"One of the jobs of a provost is to reframe the conversation between legislators and faculty," he said.
He emphasized the need for state officials and university officials to work together toward the common goal of improving teaching and learning.
Finally, he touched on globalization, saying the UI needs to be a "university without borders."
Loh himself is the product of international forces, from his upbringing to his fluency in English, Chinese, French, and Spanish.
Loh concluded his speech with an old Chinese story. An old man sends his children out to dig for a treasure that doesn't exist. But because the children dig up the soil, the next harvest was bountiful.
"I want to go out into the fields of Iowa and dig with you to improve the University of Iowa," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Alyssa Cashman at:
alyssa-cashman@uiowa.edu
He referred to a character's description of challenge as an "insurmountable opportunity."
And so Loh began his speech on the "insurmountable opportunities" facing the UI.
For an hour Thursday, he spoke to an audience of around 20 in the Old Capitol and answered anonymous questions from the audience members. He was the last of five finalists to visit the UI.
Loh is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Seattle University. Born in China and raised in Peru, Loh moved to the United States nearly 45 years ago.
With an extensive résumé and many ideas about how a university should be run, he outlined the challenges and realities that the UI will have to face.
( Daily Iowan TV video feature )
Video in QuickTime format, click here for free player download
"The fundamental purpose [of a public university] is to create a future that will make life better for the citizens of that state," Loh said.
He presented four realities that universities must deal with - economic, demographic, political, and globalization.
In terms of economics, Loh said the UI must deal with decreasing investment by the government in higher education. The biggest problem is that universities are now starting to become subject to market forces as they become more and more privatized, he said.
"Can we fulfill our public purpose if increasingly subjected to market forces?" Loh asked. "We're deluding ourselves if we think it won't affect us."
A "demographic revolution" also places demands on universities which Loh says must be met.
"In 30 years, there will be no minorities," Loh said. "[Immigrants] are the future of this state."
Switching gears, he also reflected on the political issues facing the UI.
"One of the jobs of a provost is to reframe the conversation between legislators and faculty," he said.
He emphasized the need for state officials and university officials to work together toward the common goal of improving teaching and learning.
Finally, he touched on globalization, saying the UI needs to be a "university without borders."
Loh himself is the product of international forces, from his upbringing to his fluency in English, Chinese, French, and Spanish.
Loh concluded his speech with an old Chinese story. An old man sends his children out to dig for a treasure that doesn't exist. But because the children dig up the soil, the next harvest was bountiful.
"I want to go out into the fields of Iowa and dig with you to improve the University of Iowa," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Alyssa Cashman at:
alyssa-cashman@uiowa.edu
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