President’s Blog
Welcome to my official blog as President of Baruch College. I created this space to share ideas, research, and perspectives that impact the campus community, higher education, and society at large. Through this monthly blog, I will examine various topics and issues, pose thoughtful questions, and promote the exchange of ideas. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with you and invite you to join the discussion, comment, and share.
Sincerely,
S. David Wu, PhD
President, Baruch College
To Explore or To Exploit—That Is the Question
May 31, 2023
Graduation season is upon us. It is difficult to believe the academic year is over and that life appears to have returned to a near “normal” pattern—at least when it comes to human interactions. As is common during April and May, I have had the opportunity to participate...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
AI, the Future of Work, and the Education That Prepares You
April 26, 2023
In late March, I chatted with a few Baruch faculty members after an annual cross-college research symposium. Over the course of our conversation, the topic turned to artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically ChatGPT—and whether it is any different from other high-tech breakthroughs we have experienced in our lifetime. Two opposing...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
What Does Art Have to Do with It?
March 29, 2023
One of my weekend routines is to take a long run to the west side of Manhattan, along the Hudson River, before the city wakes. After finishing my run, showering, and sipping coffee in the glow of the early morning sun, my wife and I plan where to...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
February 28, 2023
This winter has been the cruelest season in recent memory. The first months of 2023 arrived with a barrage of disquieting news and revelations, each marked with the unanticipated and punctuated clarity of cracking thunder. The devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria killed tens of thousands of people,...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
On Tribalism—It May or May Not Be What You Think
December 21, 2022
The holiday season is upon us, and my thoughts drift to my family’s tradition of spending time together in the small Pennsylvania town we lived in for more than 30 years, where our children were born and raised. We have a fuller house these days with our grown...Read more...
Appreciate the Complexity Around Us
November 30, 2022
Since moving to New York City, I alternate my routes as I walk home from campus each evening simply to enjoy the varying aromas, music, markets, languages, and people of the city—even if just for a moment. A Tale of Two Avenues Along Lexington Avenue, ranks of small...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
Be the Bridge Between Differences
October 31, 2022
Earlier this month, I was interviewed by ABC News as part of their coverage of the upcoming Supreme Court case concerning affirmative action in college admissions. The reporter was most interested in how a selective institution like Baruch achieves a diverse student population when race is not a...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
Creating Our Shared Narrative by Understanding Who We Are
September 27, 2022
It’s hard to believe that I am starting my third year as president of Baruch. As my wife and I gradually settled into New York City, I developed the habit of early morning runs, and to my surprise, they have become part of my daily routine. For me,...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College
The Environment We Create for Ourselves
May 31, 2022
This is graduation season and the completion of another unusual academic year—not only for the graduates but for everyone in the Baruch community. The transition from virtual to traditional face-to-face settings has influenced us in ways that have been quite unexpected, at least that is the case for...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education
College-Ready Students or Student-Ready Colleges?
April 27, 2022
As spring arrives and the weather warms, I can feel every bit of change in the City’s pulse during my early morning runs—by the number of people out and about and even the expressions on their faces. As we enter the final stretch of the academic year and...Read more...
Posted in :
Baruch College, Higher Education