7/31/2019 William Hanff Testimony to DC Council on UDC Rightsizing Proposal

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WilliamHanffDCCouncilTestimonyforUDCRight-SizingHearingOctober11th,2012

IdliketoaddressyouasanativeWashingtonianandWard5booster,andasanAssistant

ProfessoratUDCforthepastsixyears.AsaWashingtonian,Iamamazedathowthecityis

growingandevolving,anddisappointedthatUDChasntkeptpace.Asfaculty,IamInstructorin

Communications;aResearcherinMediaTheory;andanOutreachActivistonlineandheretoday.

WithyoursupportandpatienceUDCcancatchupwithDC.

ThereisanotherdebateraginginDC:theTaxiCommissionvs.Uber,thetown-carservice.Itsa

greatmetaphorforafunctionaltaxiservicethatrecentlyupdatedandnowfacesanewwayof

doingthings:mobilephoneapplications.Uberhaschangedthewaywethinkabouttaxiservice

notbychangingcars,butbychanginghowwefindthem.

LiketheDCTaxicommission,UDChasonlyrecentlypulleditselfintothe21stcentury.Weve

launchedaCommunityCollege,beguntorestructureUndergraduatePrograms,begunapart-time

LawProgram,re-envisionedhowweteachagriculturewithCAUSES.Weremovingforward,but

werefacingourownUber.Werefacingfor-profitcolleges,theTAGprogram,andonline

programsatpeerinstitutions.AndtheseareactuallygoodthingsforUDCtoface!Competition

makesusstronger.UDCneedsyourtrusttofollowthroughwithdeepinstitutionalredesignsthat

canleadtobetterservicetothepopulation.

Asfaculty,wedontendoureducationwithourdegrees.Wemustcontinuetoevolve,retrainand

betwostepsahead.WecanmovewithinUDCandcontinuetheevolutiontowardinterdisciplinary

study.Theoldsilosareantiquated:theydontreflectthejobmarket,ourstudentsdontwant

them,manyfacultywantmorefexibility.Whilesomeofmyfacultycolleaguesrespectfully

disagreewithme,IbelievethatmanyatUDCarereadyforthesechanges.

OurstudentsarechangingalongwiththepopulationofDC.Weneedtoengagemultiple

communitiesofthepopulationatmultiplepointsalongtheircareers.Wemustadapttothefact

thatmanyofourundergraduateswanttoearntheirBAinsixyears,whileotherswanttoearnthe

sameinthree.Forthem,UDCmustbecomeapioneerinonlineeducationacrossallprograms,

acrossallWardsofthecity.

7/31/2019 William Hanff Testimony to DC Council on UDC Rightsizing Proposal

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Someoftheredesignandrightsizingwillnotbeeasy.Butifweputfrontlineeducationfirst

wecancontinuetogrowenrollment.Itwillrequiresmaller,leaneradministration;morenimble

academicdepartments;andaninvestmentinonlineeducationandnewhybridmodelsoflearning.

FlexibleAAprograms,theStep-Upprograms,ProfessionalScienceMastersprograms,MastersofArtsinTeachingprograms,strongliberalartsBAprograms.

Weneedtotakeadvantageofouruniquelocationtooffermorecertificationprogramsandprofessionalseminarswhereourcitycanprovideaworkinglabforourstudents.

UDCisinaprecariouspositionasaninstitution.Itsbeginningtooutliveitsfoundinggeneration.

Forgedintheprogressiveeraofthe60s,myseniorcolleaguesimpartatrueprogressivefireand

excitementforurbaneducation.Dr.MeredithRodeaddressedthecitycouncilfrequentlywhen

UDCwasindirestraights.Shehaspassedawaynowbutwhatshebelievedinhaspassedonto

usfaculty,herstudents,andtoalumniyourconstituents.Shebelievedinchangemeasured

changetobesteducate,inspireandenlargetheunderstandingespeciallyduringchange.

Injustthelastfewdays,someDCcabshavebeguntouseandinstallmobilephoneapplications

thatallowthemtorespondquicklytothelocationofpotentialcustomers.TheDCcabscanexist,

andthrive,sidebysidewithUber.Buttheyneedthetime,support,andthecompetition,toadapt.

WithyourhelpandsupportUDCcanmeetourstudentswheretheyareandtakethemtowhere

theyneedtogoandsometimesplacestheydidntexpect.Dr.MeredithRodetaughtusmany

things:toseebeautyandartinurbanlandscapes;tofightandmakenoiseforwhatyoubelievein;

tobepatientbutcriticalsostudentslearntoimproveandevolve;totrusttheprocessandsupport

otherswhodotoo.

ThesebitsofwisdomIwillbringtoyourconstituentswhentheycometostudyatUDC.Notonly

becauseIamanAssistantProfessor,butbecauseIamaWashingtonian.Ihopeyouwillusethese

bitsofwisdomwhenconsideringyourcontinuedsupportofUDCanditscurrentplanfor

restructuringandredesign.

Thankyouforyourtimeandattention.