President Jim receives Friendly City welcome

During his second Presidential Tour stop Oct. 14 at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, President James C. Schmidt prioritized JMU's relationship with the surrounding community. 

“A university is nothing without its community,” Schmidt said, adding that JMU owes a debt of gratitude to the people of Harrisonburg, who fought to bring a State Normal School to the central Shenandoah Valley more than a century ago. “To be sure, there was some horse trading in Richmond and a lot of politics that went into that, but it happened because of the Harrisonburg community,” he said.

As the institution and its host city have grown up around each other, Schmidt said, they have become interdependent. “What's good for the community is good for the university,” he said, “and what's good for the university is also good for the community. I hope that as you leave here, you will observe that, agree with that, and I hope that I give you confidence in saying it to other people.”

The audience was asked a series of questions related to JMU's Strategic Plan.

Schmidt tested some ideas for the future of JMU, among them a cross-disciplinary community problem-solving course offered during students’ first year, opening up an expanded Bridgeforth Stadium to outdoor concerts and music festivals, and a pledge to both students and employers regarding workforce training and job placements.

“What if we say to our grads, if you don't have a job after six months, we'll take you back?” Schmidt proposed. “We'll assign you a coach, do some analyzing of your resume and provide up to 12 credits of additional undergraduate coursework — at our expense.”

Schmidt also invited Dukes in attendance to contribute to the university’s Strategic Plan by pitching their own ideas for the future of JMU.

Harry Reif, professor emeritus of Computer Information Systems, said JMU should continue to build on the fact that our graduates are known for working well in teams and being able to think critically. “We need to have things that are part of the seal on a JMU degree that says every one of our students has [earned] almost an ISO 9000 [standard for quality].”

Melissa Jensen (’86) said she would like for JMU to be known for producing ethical leaders.

Alison Varner-Denbeigh (’07), executive director of Region 8 of Go Virginia — a public-private economic development initiative — suggested JMU could become a community partner in the agricultural sector, noting that the valley is home to four of the top ag counties in the state.

Melissa Jensen (’86) touted JMU’s track record of producing “good humans” and principled leaders, in part due to the university’s Ethical Reasoning in Action program, whose Eight Key Questions framework for ethical decision-making has been part of Orientation programming and embedded in various disciplines at JMU for more than a decade and is now licensed for use by external institutions.

Schmidt also answered questions submitted by the audience.

Community member Sallie Wolfe Garrison asked how localities, specifically Rockingham County, can assist JMU in fulfilling its goal to be an economic engine in western Virginia.

“We all have to be working together,” Schmidt responded. “That’s why I'm so passionate about partnerships. If we leverage each other's resources, we can go so much further.”

Laura Miller (’82) asked about the importance of student internship placements with local businesses.

Schmidt said many small companies “could really use an extra set of hands,” and students, in turn, “can learn a lot working for a small company.” JMU can also leverage state funds to help pay students who are working in unpaid internships, he said.

“We are going to dream big,” Schmidt concluded. “I don't want to follow the path of every other university. I want to find our own path through the mountains. I want to see how we can leverage the strengths that we have.”

The event’s emcee, Larry Caudle (’82), expressed confidence in Schmidt and his vision. 

“I'm here with renewed enthusiasm and fantastic confidence over what our new leadership is going to do here, and I just can't wait to see what this place looks like in five years,” Caudle said. “It's going to be amazing.”

Share your ideas for JMU’s Strategic Plan. President Jim reads every submission.

For more information on the Presidential Tour and upcoming events, click here.

The president received a warm welcome from Harrisonburg-area alumni and friends of the university.

President Jim chats with JMU alumnus Steve Smith (’71).

JMU professor emeritus Harry Reif speaks with event emcee Larry Caudle (’82).

Click to view all of the photos from the Harrisonburg event.

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