President Docking Gives Annual State of the College Address posted 3/26/10
“Shared Vision, Shared Success”

ADRIAN, Mich. - Adrian College President Jeffrey R. Docking reflected on the College’s success since his inauguration in 2005, and talked about a strategic plan for the next five years during his annual State of the College Address, “Shared Vision, Shared Success”, presented today (Friday) in the Adrian Tobias Room on campus.

Docking opened his address by elaborating on this year’s message.

“The preponderance of this message is devoted to looking ahead, planning, visioning, and, most importantly, working together as one community to create a College so extraordinary that the achievements of the past five years, and perhaps the last 150 years, pale in comparison to the amazing things that lie ahead,” said Docking.

Docking briefly talked about Renaissance I and how in 2005 the College community started together with a shared vision and has thus gained a shared success.

“Renaissance I is behind us, as we know, and we could write a book on all that we have done together,” he said. “In fact, Associate Professor Carman Curton is already working with a few of us on that book. And, we have accomplished many of the early objectives of the Renaissance II plan.” 

Docking then spent some time discussing the College’s growth, both by student numbers as well as financial numbers, and its rapid momentum.

“We have received considerable press for our efforts, including, but certainly not limited to, a front page article in ‘The Chronicle of Higher Education’, a positive Letter to the Editor in ‘Time Magazine’, and a recent mention in ‘The Wall Street Journal’,” said Docking. “People from all over are taking note and want to be a part of Adrian College.”

Most importantly, he said the College has attracted many more students who are academically qualified and ready to undertake serious academic work. 

Docking also commented that a lot was learned from the renaissance plans.

“Through this transformation we have learned some valuable lessons and must apply them to the next five years so our success is replicated and our College is even stronger,” he said. “We learned that Adrian College works best with a plan, a plan that is easy to understand and articulate to others. Plans provide focus and establish benchmarks. They also enlist the support of others.”

According to Docking, this “dynamic plan” will be a continuance of Renaissance II and serve as a roadmap for the next five years; it will be collaborative and creative. He also stated that this plan will be open to all those who want to be involved and will elicit debate and discussion.

“The forming of committees, the organizing of this process, and the broad categories that we will address in our strategic plan will be created after this meeting,” said Docking.

He then elaborated on how the campus community should begin by thinking about some very important elements.

“The success of the plan will hinge on our ability to be creative and to introduce new ideas into our College that will continue the excitement, momentum, and unique learning experience that now defines us in the marketplace,” he said. “In other words, creativity is at the core of this strategic plan. Human creativity is the greatest single asset we have in reimagining, reinventing, and continuing to improve Adrian College.”

Docking pointed out that the strategic plan must have broad participation. If creativity is being sought, voices cannot be limited.

“We will create this vision together and we will enjoy our success together,” said Docking. “My role in this is to inspire, to cajole, to prod, but most importantly to remove the barriers that stand in the way of hearing and implementing the best ideas on this campus.” 

Docking said he asked his senior staff to provide him with a minimum of three creative ideas to improve their area of the College. Docking instructed them that no idea was off limits, none too large or too small.

“I told them to take the handcuffs off their minds, to come up with ideas, fun ideas, bizarre ideas, and seemingly impossible ideas to create a better College and a better learning experience for our students,” he said.

One of the ideas his staff proposed included raising money for student scholarship assistance by publishing and selling a children’s book.

“The central figure in the book will be, of course, our newest campus rock star – Bruiser the Bulldog,” he said.

Other fun ideas included building a bonfire pit in front of the Caine Student Center; designating a pet-friendly dorm where students who have a special dog, cat or reptile could keep their companion during the academic year; and another recommendation was allowing students to give their favorite recipe to the dining hall and request that it be served during a special evening meal.

“On a more serious note, although I honestly think all of these ideas are possible, many staff members focused on ideas to enhance our already strong academic experience,” stated Docking.

These ideas include: Offering a four-year promise, guaranteeing students who select their major during their first two years, pass their classes, and take a full-time course load, that they can graduate in four years or their fifth year is free; Creating a fund to pay for one experiential learning experience in every class we offer; Offering J-term courses whereby students only take one course in January; Designating a location in an academic building where they can honor the College’s most distinguished faculty and alumni.

Another serious idea included the creating of an Institute for the Visual and Performing Arts to acknowledge the central role that these majors play in the life of Adrian College and the importance of creativity in everyone’s lives.

“Michigan’s burgeoning movie production field didn’t escape the creative, watchful eye of our senior team,” he said. “Beyond expanded internships, hiring an on-campus videographer to film amazing classes, capstone presentations, sporting events, or perhaps a group at our new bonfire pit, and then edit these videos into short commercials to send to prospective students or interested alums.”

Docking also liked the idea submitted by the student affairs division where an alternative spring break could be organized focusing on the Freedom Rides of the 1960’s whereby students would skip the Florida suntan to visit the great Civil Rights landmarks of the 1960’s.

Docking spent the rest of his address talking about the endless opportunities and ideas that could be introduced and instituted at the College. He kept returning to the importance and excitement of a new “strategic plan.”

“A new strategic plan should define our future campus boundaries, boundaries to indicate to our neighbors and the City of Adrian the land we need to purchase to continue our work and support optimal enrollment,” said Docking. “The city has asked for this plan and we have already started the process to create a master plan.”

Docking also emphasized that the plan must include curriculum and activities that continue to emphasize civic engagement and giving back to one’s community.

“These values have been part of our institutional identity for 150 years and they are consistent with our Christian heritage. We should not lose this part of our identity as we imagine the next five years,” said Docking.

Docking ended his address by thanking the campus community.

“I thank all of you for your commitment to Adrian College,” he said. “I thank you for your motivation and hard work, your willingness to put the College first each day when you arrive at your desk or in your classroom, and your creative input as we begin the process of organizing committees and synthesizing a plan that will lead us through the next five years of Renaissance II.”

The State of the College is an annual tradition on the Adrian College campus usually taking place on or around the College’s anniversary and Founder’s Day of March 28.