A season of change
March 27, 2025
“Education is the soul of society as it passes from one generation to another.” —G.K. Chesterton
The past few months have been turbulent in higher education. Our students continue to struggle with the cost of a college education, the impact of inflation on their families and communities, and deepening uncertainties about their post-graduation plans. The future of federal funding for research remains up in the air and the political climate in the U.S. is divisive and uncivil. However different our political views, I think it is safe to say that this is a trying time for colleges and universities, one that will test our commitments and resolve.
In times like this, it is easy to feel scared and overwhelmed—to focus on what feels impossible and lose sight of the dream of a liberal arts education as an engine of social mobility, creativity, innovation, industry, and democracy. A liberal arts education pushes students outside their comfort zones. It asks them to stretch in new directions, and to be open to the transformative power of new information and perspectives they may not yet have encountered. It demands self-awareness and humility, as well as an abiding respect for what can emerge from the fusion of previous knowledge and new information. And it requires that students learn to think with one another, to listen with respect and intent, and to work harder than they ever thought possible. As UO Provost Christopher Long noted in a recent interview, “the central purpose of the university is to educate the next generation of self-reflective and discerning citizens and to deepen our understanding of one another and the world we inhabit.” In my 30-year career in education, this purpose has never felt so vital or so urgent.
During moments of great change and uncertainty, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and fearful. I am finding reassurance in our work helping students flourish academically and building the skills they will need to positively affect the world. And daily, I find inspiration in our students’ ingenuity and spirit. Consider these examples:
- A landscape architecture student who recently defended a thesis that imagined a new and walkable Nashville, Tennessee.
- A student whose thesis translated the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons into Korean to introduce a tabletop game that can help build community and combat isolation.
- And our newly formed CHC Student Advisory Council, a group of students and thinkers, who are providing important new student-driven leadership. These students touch every part of UO. With degrees and career paths ranging from engineering to art/design, law to medicine, business to social sciences, they collectively make up the varied and diverse CHC learning community.
Last fall, the CHC began to work to align our efforts to support UO’s strategic plan, Oregon Rising, and in doing so, refine our student success efforts. As a team, we reviewed and revised our mission and values. Our faculty and staff imagined, created and debated the heart of who we are and what we do, and you can read our 2025 CHC Core Values & Mission Statement. These documents will help us as we craft a new plan for the CHC, reminding us of the grave importance of grounding our work together in values we celebrate and share and reaffirming our commitment to our students, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead.
Best Wishes,
Carol Stabile
Dean