PSU Awards Honorary Degree to Foreign Policy Expert Joseph Nye Jr.

Joseph S. Nye Jr., one of the nation’s foremost leaders in international relations, received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, presented by PSU President Sara Jayne Steen at fall Convocation, which marks the start of a new academic year.

Nye served as dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and with the Department of Defense, the National Intelligence Council, and the State Department. In 2005 he was voted one of the 10 most influential scholars of international relations in the US, and in 2011 he was named one of the world’s most important global thinkers. He told students they all have the capacity to become leaders.

“Take the next four years at PSU … set yourself a goal, and that’s to spend the next four years in teaching yourself leadership and I tell you that you will succeed,” said Nye.

PSU’s class of 2018 is comprised of approximately 800 entering students who were chosen from nearly 4,800 applicants. The class includes students from 20 states and 8 countries.

PSU Earns FIRE’s Highest Rating for Free Speech

Demonstrating its commitment to protecting free speech on campus, Plymouth State University recently reformed its speech codes, and in the process has garnered a green light rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), the organization’s highest award. “PSU is to be commended for its commitment to free speech,” said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. “As one of only 20 schools to earn a green light rating from FIRE, Plymouth State is now a leader in protecting the freedom of speech on campus.”

FIRE began working on speech code reform with PSU faculty and administrators in January 2014. Sam Brickley, a professor of business law at PSU, led the effort at the University along with a group of PSU administrators and faculty.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, and rights of conscience in US colleges and universities.

Sierra Club Names Plymouth State One of America’s Greenest Schools

The Sierra Club has named PSU to its list of America’s Greenest Schools, a ranking based on an extensive questionnaire that assesses a wide range of criteria, such as the institution’s energy sources and on-campus landscape use of native plants.

“At PSU, we say that green is more than our school color and, to that end, we have made efforts to integrate sustainability not just in academic classes, but across our operations and thinking,” said Brian Eisenhower, PSU’s director of environmental sustainability. “One reason the Sierra Club’s Greenest Schools ranking is so meaningful is the comprehensive nature of their analyses, which involves a great deal of information about campus operations, curricular efforts, and co-curricular activities,” Eisenhower added.

PSU students are involved with numerous environmental awareness and advocacy activities, including reducing the use of plastic water bottles on campus. Studies reveal 86 percent of water bottles sold in the US are not recycled, and are either incinerated or end up in landfills.

PSU Students Earn High National Ranking in Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), a standardized test, revealed that Plymouth State University seniors rank in the 95th percentile for “value added” knowledge, or knowledge and skills acquired during undergraduate years, suggesting major gains in critical-thinking and problem-solving skills during the four academic years.

The CLA measures critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and written communication skills, and requires thoughtful, open-ended written responses. “Regional and national employers are asking for graduates with this twenty-first century skill set,” said David Zehr, PSU’s associate vice president for undergraduate studies. “Based on these test results, our faculty can take great pride in the work they do with our students,” Zehr added.

 

Tags:  CLA Collegiate Learning Assessment Convocation FIRE Foundation for Individual Rights in Education free speech Greenest Schools Joseph S. Nye Jr. Sierra Club