Provost Power
Provost Rachel Mersey dazzled Town and Gown members with her pragmatic inspirations and impressions of SMU and Dallas. She discussed the brand of SMU, the interdisciplinary thrust of the university, and SMU’s growth — with a focus on high-quality niche programs that can be among the best in the country and that link existing SMU programs, majors and degrees. She spoke about freedom of academic expression, athletics, the prospect of a baseball team, honors housing, graduate student housing, and the importance of a formal Dallas office at SMU.
SMU has had many fine provosts, but Rachel Mersey brings exceptional energy and creative vision to what SMU can become. She is building on the attributes of SMU rather than trying to make SMU into something it is not.
When asked about the brand of SMU, she said, “principled leadership.” I found this answer especially telling.
My impression of SMU students, from the moment I first stepped onto the SMU campus until now, has been that they are well-rounded, accomplished, and inclined to contribute and participate. Even recently, when I was interviewed for an SMU 1911 Group video, I said that SMU graduates were all quite different, yet the common denominator was that SMU graduates were high-capacity contributors to the community.
Rachel Mersey is focused on nurturing and developing that principled leadership.
@rdmersey
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