Sustainability, diversity, and health discussed at first of three Dunn forums
President John Dunn participated in an open student forum in Western Michigan University’s Bigelow Hall on Wednesday evening. (Marissa Ingle / Western Herald)
By Hosea Koech
Western Herald
On Wednesday Nov. 4, Western Michigan University President John Dunn, Ph.D. was at Bigelow Hall’s Afrikana Lounge to give students an opportunity to air their views regarding university policies, progress and a chance to get to know his personal life.
Dunn highlighted three major issues, the first being sustainability, highlighting the trayless Dining Halls
“This program has effectively reduced waste by 50 percent,” he said.
He asked students to be keen on keeping the environment clean at all times and avoid throwing papers everywhere.
Dunn announced Monday’s news that the Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a medical school at WMU.
“My commitment is that we cannot take existing resources to establish the school,” he said. “It will have to be privately funded.”
He also explained the reason for establishment of a medical school has being rooted in the need to have good health care coverage and its viability to expand.
Another major project in consideration announced was the renovation of Davis Dining Hall to the tune of $3 million. He also hinted that the university would build new resident halls in 2010-2011.
The second major issue he discussed was diversity.
“There is not a great university in the world that is not diverse,” Dunn said.
Dunn advised students who have a vision to be leaders in future that they must be prepared to listen to what others say, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.
The last thing Dunn discussed was health. He expressed the need for students to excise and eat well. He stated to them that, it was their sole responsibility to ensure that they stay health at all times.
“I run daily for forty-five minutes. It leaves me fresh both healthy wise and mentally,” he said.
Dunn will hold two more open forums with students in the coming week. International Programs Council hosts the first forum on Friday, Nov 6 from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. in room 205 of the Bernhard Center; the second is next Wednesday Nov. 11, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in room 157 of the Bernhard Center.
Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=11396
Posted by HeraldAdmin
on Nov 5 2009. Filed under News.
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WMU has an exceptional leader in President Dunn. Students should feel privileged to study under his guidance, and faculty/staff should feel privileged to work with him.
Umm, Greg, Dunn doesn’t teach anything at WMU, and he’s not an adviser so I have no idea how you can say that students “should feel privileged to study under his guidance.” He’s an administrator not a professor.
It’s the students and professors that make WMU a good university, not an administrator that takes credit for student projects, supports raising tuition instead of decrease spending and accepts an outrageous pay raise when students can barely afford rent. I agree he is a nice guy and I would have a drink with him, but saying that he is an exceptional leader that solves all problems is far from the truth.