Spring Break
Hogan Looks Forward To Changes In UConn's Future
Kate King
Issue date: 5/11/08 Section: News
"We need to move forward with this particular project," Hogan said.
While Hogan says that college-aged students everywhere are similar in many respects, he has noticed several differences between the students at UConn and the University of Iowa.
UConn students perform better academically and graduate at a higher rate than students at the University of Iowa, Hogan said.
"On the average, the students here are just better prepared, they're smarter and so they do better," Hogan said.
UConn students are also more involved in the community and have a higher sense of civic duty and citizenship, Hogan said. He attributes these qualities to New England's more heterogeneous population and culture.
"Students here are just a little less insular, a little more cosmopolitan," Hogan said.
While he says the undergraduate program at UConn is stronger than at the University of Iowa, Hogan believes that its research portfolio and graduate programs lack the same strength. These are areas in which he hopes to improve in the next several years, as well as solving the long-term economic crisis with the John Dempsey Hospital at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.
The hospital, which lost $22 million dollars this year alone, needs to be expanded and updated with better facilities, Hogan said.
The hospital's financial problems are a "very, very substantial challenge," that needs to be resolved since it comprises one half of the university's budget, Hogan said. He hopes to collaborate with the state legislature in order to address this issue.
Despite budget woes and challenges facing him in the future, Hogan said he is very happy with his new job as UConn's president. He has been especially pleased with how the administration has reorganized and finished a new academic plan, a draft of which was presented April 15 to the Board of Trustees.
Dr. John W. Rowe, chair of the UConn Board of Trustees, believes that Hogan has had a "seamless transition" to UConn. Rowe said he is particularly happy with Hogan's goal of unity for UConn, which is something the university has been challenged with due to the geographic distribution of its different branches. One way in which Hogan has already been working towards this goal is by looking to unify the Health Center with Storrs-based research, Rowe said.
While Hogan says that college-aged students everywhere are similar in many respects, he has noticed several differences between the students at UConn and the University of Iowa.
UConn students perform better academically and graduate at a higher rate than students at the University of Iowa, Hogan said.
"On the average, the students here are just better prepared, they're smarter and so they do better," Hogan said.
UConn students are also more involved in the community and have a higher sense of civic duty and citizenship, Hogan said. He attributes these qualities to New England's more heterogeneous population and culture.
"Students here are just a little less insular, a little more cosmopolitan," Hogan said.
While he says the undergraduate program at UConn is stronger than at the University of Iowa, Hogan believes that its research portfolio and graduate programs lack the same strength. These are areas in which he hopes to improve in the next several years, as well as solving the long-term economic crisis with the John Dempsey Hospital at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.
The hospital, which lost $22 million dollars this year alone, needs to be expanded and updated with better facilities, Hogan said.
The hospital's financial problems are a "very, very substantial challenge," that needs to be resolved since it comprises one half of the university's budget, Hogan said. He hopes to collaborate with the state legislature in order to address this issue.
Despite budget woes and challenges facing him in the future, Hogan said he is very happy with his new job as UConn's president. He has been especially pleased with how the administration has reorganized and finished a new academic plan, a draft of which was presented April 15 to the Board of Trustees.
Dr. John W. Rowe, chair of the UConn Board of Trustees, believes that Hogan has had a "seamless transition" to UConn. Rowe said he is particularly happy with Hogan's goal of unity for UConn, which is something the university has been challenged with due to the geographic distribution of its different branches. One way in which Hogan has already been working towards this goal is by looking to unify the Health Center with Storrs-based research, Rowe said.
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