Looking Forward to a New Year

It's a new year here at Midwestern University's Glendale Campus, and am I ever glad to be back at work!

Don't get me wrong; I love time off as much as the next person. And enough interesting stuff went on during the holiday break - for instance, one day it actually snowed in Phoenix, which is only the third time I've ever seen it happen in over thirty years - that I was glad to have the chance for a break.

Of course, there is something to be said for the relative peace and quiet of an office desk like mine after a couple of weeks that seemed at times to have come straight out of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. While there were no electrocuted cats or super-dry Christmas turkeys, there was enough friendly chaos and family interaction that I eventually longed for the solace of a simple blog post.

That's not to say that 2011 is going to be dull for Midwestern University. Last year, the Glendale Campus underwent a significant expansion, highlighted by our new Dental and Eye Institutes. For 2011, it's the Downers Grove Campus' turn, with the inauguration of the College of Dental Medicine-Illinois and an expansion of their own clinical facilities. And while here in Glendale the buildings are all built, we anticipate a busy year getting everything and everyone up to speed and running smoothly.

We are celebrating our 15^th anniversary in Glendale, and I have mentioned in previous blog postings about how far this campus has come. We're not done expanding, either. Our student enrollment continues to climb and with additional numbers we need additional infrastructure. This year, the Glendale Campus is already planning to add 50 more people to our faculty and staff ranks to help cope with our growth, as well as exploring the possibility of adding another dorm complex to help reduce the significant size of the student housing waiting list.

Growth is a rare word in a depressed economy, but Midwestern University continues to be blessed with a healthy dose of it on both campuses. To me, that is mainly a testament to the quality of people that Midwestern employs. You can build buildings as long as your money lasts, but filling those buildings with students, faculty, and patients can only happen if you maintain a good working environment, a commitment to quality education and patient care, and a desire to serve the greater community.

Our people at Midwestern University embrace all of that - it's why I am happy to set my alarm five days a week to get up for work instead of just being obliged to do it. So while I'm sad to see the holiday season over for another year, I'm glad to get back to work. I have a feeling that 2011 will be another great year for our University!