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Words of wisdom

He may be new to the SCSU campus, but education has been his passion for more than 30 years. Michael Spitzer, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, attributes his interest in education to the teachers who inspired him and shaped his learning experience. He shares his views on education and his vision for SCSU.

Philosophy of education “Our goal as educators should be helping students acquire the tools they need to function as citizens of a complex world, to understand their culture and the cultures of others, and not just to prepare them for a career. I used to teach a class on college preparation to junior high students. I asked them why they wanted to go to college and they said, ‘to get a better job.’ So I had them calculate how much of their life they would actually spend working. It turns out to be about 17 percent. Then I asked them what they were doing to prepare for the rest of their lives.”

Teacher versus executive “Primarily it is the level of interaction. As a teacher I had contact with fewer students but got to know them better. As an administrator my interaction with students is more indirect, but I can have influence on a greater number of students through support of best practices and programs throughout the university.”

Biggest problems facing education “Rising costs for students and pressure from parents and society to focus on career preparation are issues that must be faced head-on by the university. The reason for a liberal arts education is to open minds in a broad way. We have to stress the importance of general education courses. Most people change careers many times in their lives; having a grasp of a number of disciplines can only enrich a student’s future.”

Job description “My role is to help students get the best education possible by actively promoting quality education and listening and talking to faculty and staff to promote solutions to difficult issues. SCSU gives students a first–rate education and has a dedicated faculty and staff that make that possible.”

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