Ensign on the Road
![Margee Ensign](/images/22550059_10156731862507892_2309010872682601605_n_700.jpg")
Photo by Carl Socolow '77.
President Margee Ensign Kicks off the Useful Education for the Common Good Tour
by Matt Getty; video by Joe O'Neill
President Margee Ensign hit the road this weekend, kicking off the Useful Education for the Common Good Tour, through which she’ll meet with Dickinsonians in a dozen cities over the next four weeks. Launching in Central Pennsylvania Saturday, Oct. 21, the tour gives Ensign the chance to take questions from alumni and parents around the country and share her plans for keeping Dickinson’s useful liberal-arts education vital for the 21st century and beyond.
“When you look at all of the challenges we are facing nationally and globally, we know that an education that’s narrow won’t work because everything is changing so quickly,” she told roughly 50 attendees at the Central Pennsylvania tour kick off in Camp Hill’s West Shore Country Club. “So we need an education that says, ‘let’s make sure you know how to think; let’s make sure you know how to take data and turn it into knowledge; let’s make sure you know how to look at issues from multiple perspectives.’ ”
Hosted by Emily West Cocores ’06 and Chris Cocores ’05, the event featured a Q&A with Ensign moderated by Dickinson Board of Trustees Chair John Jones '77. The next morning, Ensign and several staff members loaded the tour bus to head for the next stop on the tour in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia and Beyond
Michael A. Bloom ’69 as well as Mary and Bill Mueller ’73 hosted Ensign at The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 22, where she took questions on what attracted her to Dickinson, the relevance of a liberal-arts education today and what she’s learned in her first 90 days as president.
“I’m convinced this is the education for the future,” said Ensign to the roughly 120 guests who joined her in Philadelphia. “I believe passionately in what Dickinson is doing.”
In addition to the Q&A, which was moderated by Rosalyn Robinson ’68, the event included remarks from Ensign on her vision for the college as well as a reception that gave Dickinsonians the chance to mingle with one another and the new president. During the event, Ensign also updated alumni and parents on recent intercultural competency and civic engagement initiatives at the college as well as her plans to expand Dickinson's collaborative programs with the nearby U.S. Army War College.
Photo by Carl Socolow '77.
The Useful Education for the Common Good Tour rolls into New York City Monday evening, Oct. 23. From there, Ensign will visit Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Boston before the end of the month. In November, the tour travels to Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Chicago before moving on to the West Coast, with stops in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
View photos from the , the and the on Facebook; check out the students and alumni put together for Ensign to listen to on the road; and follow along on social media with the hashtag #DsonOnTheMove.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published October 22, 2017