Heritage
A Decade of Changes
Daan Braveman reflects on 10 years as Nazareth鈥檚 president
by Erich Van Dussen
In autumn 2012, as Nazareth College prepared for the long-awaited opening of Peckham Hall, President Daan Braveman was reminded by William Lammela, Ph.D., chair of the chemistry department, about just how long the wait had actually been. 鈥淏ill told me that when he first came here鈥30 years ago鈥攖hey were already talking about plans to get a new math and science building.
鈥淪o that took a while,鈥 Braveman recalls. 鈥淏ut now it鈥檚 a wonderful addition to the campus.鈥
Indeed, the last 10 years have seen many substantial additions to the Nazareth landscape besides Peckham Hall鈥攊ncluding a completed Golisano Academic Center, a renovated Arts Center and, coming this fall, a state-of-the-art Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute. As Braveman considers the College鈥檚 evolution since he took office in 2005, he calls these new buildings 鈥渙nly the most obvious changes鈥 to have occurred during Nazareth鈥檚 last decade.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about supporting the teaching and learning experience, with facilities as well as programs,鈥 he says, noting in particular the 鈥渢remendous growth鈥 in the School of Health and Human Services, as well as dozens of new academic initiatives designed to help students explore pathways of educational opportunity.
Nazareth鈥檚 single most influential programmatic change of the last decade, he adds, was the adoption of a new core curriculum in 2013. 鈥淭hat was so important,鈥 Braveman says. 鈥淓verybody has to take it, no matter what they鈥檙e studying. And it鈥檚 not just taking big courses, but also looking at big questions, and exploring how they integrate into your work.鈥
New emphases on international studies, civic engagement, and diversity have all contributed to a redefinition of a Nazareth education.
鈥淲e like to say we鈥檙e not just preparing students for making a living; we鈥檙e preparing them for making a life,鈥 Braveman says. 鈥淕etting students involved in their communities, engaging with people who are different from them and thinking about the world around them 鈥 helps them learn to become better citizens of whatever communities they choose to live in, after they leave here.鈥
Meeting unexpected challenges
Braveman took office in 2005 with an awareness of key areas that would need to be addressed in the years to come. But if part of being a good leader rests in the ability to adapt to surprises, one such test of leadership was just around the corner.
鈥淲e did not see the recession of 2007 and 2008 coming, and we certainly couldn鈥檛 have predicted its lasting impact,鈥 he says. 鈥淓ven though the economy is better now, it鈥檚 forced us to change the way we think about financing education.鈥
Cutting expenses in a number of areas helped reduce the school鈥檚 reliance on tuition increases. 鈥淚t was difficult, but it鈥檚 helping us keep the cost of going to Nazareth accessible to as many students as possible.鈥
During this same period, one potential source of increased revenue鈥攕imply admitting more students鈥攂ecame less of an option as high school graduation rates began to decline throughout the Northeast, and as fewer college graduates were pursuing advanced degrees.
鈥淎lthough we cut some expenses in order to keep down the costs for our students, we have not lost the important focus on small classes taught by faculty members. Our student-to-faculty ratio remains very low, which adds to the value of a Nazareth education: Students are in small classes, being taught by faculty members, not teaching assistants.鈥
Next steps
To date, two consecutive strategic plans have been developed during Braveman鈥檚 tenure; the current plan helps chart a direction for the college through 2020. The fact that these formal plans exist at all is yet another example of the strides made at Nazareth over the last decade; most importantly, however, they reflect an emphasis on looking forward, not back.
鈥淲hat should we do next?鈥 Braveman asks. 鈥淲e need to remain focused on everything we鈥檝e been doing, in terms of improving access to education, and doing all we can to maximize the educational experience our students have while they鈥檙e here.鈥
One of the most exciting developments in the planning phase is the establishment of the Center for Career and Professional Development. 鈥淭his center would bring together all we do to prepare students for making a career and a meaningful life,鈥 says Braveman. 鈥淭he idea is to provide a bridge that connects the curriculum, student services, internships, research opportunities, and other experiences related to the career and professional development goals of our students.鈥
Braveman would like to see more innovative uses for technology to expand students鈥 exposure to different ideas鈥攅ven those that may not technically come from Nazareth. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in a consortium called New American Colleges & Universities鈥攊t鈥檚 23 liberal arts schools from Staten Island to California. Together, we set up a catalog of 300 online courses that any student from any of our schools could take. It鈥檚 an exciting program that hasn't come close to realizing its full potential.鈥
Even after 10 years he says he doesn鈥檛 give much thought to the idea of a legacy. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 focus on thoughts about personal legacy. The achievements during the past decade are the result of hard work by many, many people.鈥 But that doesn鈥檛 preclude Braveman from citing his proudest ongoing achievement.
鈥淲hen I ask students what they like best about Nazareth, they all say the same thing: The faculty and staff鈥檚 commitment to their success. When I shake the hands of students as they walk across the stage [at graduation], I鈥檓 confident that we have given the students the best educational experience.
鈥淭hat, to me, is the biggest single thing we can do,鈥 he adds. 鈥淚t is why we are here.鈥
Erich Van Dussen is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
President Braveman's Vision
More about Daan
See his bio, his team, and a video about his favorite teacher and about hearing Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. President's office 禄