President’s Message - Winter 2011

The celebration of our 75th anniversary, which began on September 23, 2010, has been a great success, involving thousands of students, alumni, parents, faculty, administrators and local community members.  It has been an extraordinary series of events, concerts and performances, and alumni and student gatherings.  Many of our most accomplished alumni have returned to campus to share their experiences and knowledge with our students. Throughout this edition of the Hofstra Magazine, there are numerous examples of the exceptional programs and gatherings we’ve hosted this past fall in honor of our 75th anniversary.  We hope you will join us for more programs during the spring of this celebration year.

As we prepare to admit our first class of students to the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, we know that our University’s future is limitless.  With our mix of academic programs, the dedication and scholarship of our faculty, and our bright and active students, we are committed to academic excellence and civic engagement.

Over the years, there has been much discussion and debate about the untapped potential that lies in the large parcel of vacant land adjacent to our campus, and the impact its development will have on our region, and we have been generally supportive of sound, mixed-use development of the area known as the Hub.

However, faced with mounting financial pressures, the county has proposed using this land to build a casino – a plan we believe squanders the promise this property holds for sustained economic prosperity. We are proud to be part of the Hempstead and greater Long Island communities, to which we feel a great debt and an abiding responsibility. As we reflect on our history, we remain convinced that responsible growth, not a quick fix such as a casino, is the only way to build the bright future that our students, and our region, deserve.

The following is an editorial I wrote for Newsday, the daily newspaper that serves Long island.  We need you, our alumni, parents and community, to be aware of this issue and its potential to harm the long-term future of this University, our academic home.

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