Let's Write about the College of the Future- A vision to transcend attempts to politicize academia

The College of the Future Starts Here

An invitation to attend the inauguration ceremonies for Dr. Jeannine Uzzi, the 6th president of Thomas College in Waterville, on April 11th, 2025, opened an opportunity to learn about her vision for the future of higher learning. Her informative speech should be widely circulated, especially because she transcends the currenly growing environment where academia is becoming unfairly politicized.

Dear Students, Colleagues, Trustees, and Friends of the College

Dr. Jeannine Uzzi gave an educational speech abou the college of the future during her inauguration ceremony on April 11, 2025, to officially become the 6tth president of Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. Thomas College serves a student body filled with first-generation college students. It’s the kind of place where education can truly change the trajectory of a life. And she’s stepping in with clear eyes, a full heart, and the courage to lead.

People often ask me why anyone would want to be a college president today. I always answer, “How could I not want to be a college president today?” As someone who benefitted immensely from higher education, I feel an ethical imperative to spread the benefits of higher education to more learners. This is why I go to work every morning.

Yet today, nearly one third of Americans have decided that higher education isn’t worth it, and contrary to what we often see cited as the reason, it’s not only about cost. In Maine, for example, students can attend community college tuition-free, but college attendance is still down 20%. Americans widely acknowledge the objective benefits of a four-year degree when it comes to lifetime earning power and health outcomes, but many also say they do not value the education that leads to the degree. How did this happen?

If I asked you to close your eyes and imagine a college, you would probably picture a lush green lawn and buildings covered with ivy, all surrounded by a fence or wall—a beautiful barrier—between the college and the rest of reality. This image, while in many ways outdated, is informed by a sector of the economy that gives its highest ratings to schools that reject the most students. And while it is true that one highly selective university recently reported its cost of attendance at a whopping six figures per year, in reality, highly selective colleges and universities educate less than 5% of all American students.  

Today, a college degree and the benefits it affords are more accessible than ever. Degrees can be earned at any age, online, at one’s own pace, while working, and often at deep discounts off the full cost of attendance. And today’s colleges and universities—even those with modest price tags—abound with resources for learners of all kinds: degree and certification programs leading to lucrative fields; career counseling; financial literacy support; mental health counseling; and services for students with disabilities. Many colleges and universities also offer prior learning assessment for adult students who have met learning outcomes through work or military service. What is more, colleges and universities offer support for small businesses and a wide variety of professional development opportunities, not to mention arts and cultural events, many of which are open and free to the public. Colleges and universities often drive the economies of the towns and cities in which they are located.

It’s time for us to stop perseverating on the 3-4% of schools who reject 95% of their applicants and start celebrating the 95% of schools—schools like Thomas College—who accept the majority of students who apply. It’s time for us to stop worrying about the price of Stanford and start talking about the schools that educate the vast majority of American students. These institutions and all who support them must trumpet their existence and shout their impact from the rooftops. The U.S. economy is simply too large to rest on students educated by the Ivy League and its highly selective peers: we desperately need the institutions that provide critical access to higher education to build our future.

If we can let go of the idea of the college of the past—that ivy-covered gated community—we can start to imagine the college of the future. The college of the future will not seek first to guard its gate; it will not be elite or selective but impactful. The college of the future will embrace the need to provide multiple pathways to success for its students. The college of the future will be porous; it will welcome students from all walks of life; and it will be a catalyst for community, workforce, and economic development. The college of the future will have multiple routes in and out: well-traveled roads leading from the high schools and community colleges that feed it to the employers, communities, and sectors it feeds. The college of the future will reach out to its civic, educational, and corporate partners as a core part of its business model. It will proactively embody its connections to the public and private sectors; to corporate and non-profit partners; and to peer institutions not only in traditional higher education but also in career and technical education and the trades. Rather than an ivory tower, the college of the future will function as connective tissue between the present and future, both for individuals and for entire communities.

At Thomas, we have been “walking the walk” this year alongside our private high school partners and town academies: we have traveled from Thornton Academy to Washington Academy, from Gould Academy to the Hyde School, and on every visit we asked how Thomas College could help. What value could we add? What gap could Thomas fill in the school curriculum or summer programming? How could we get more students at those high schools excited not just about Thomas College but about college in general?

Some schools returned our visits with their own; some were so excited by the prospect of a partnership that they visited us before we could get to them. In every visit, there was something important to be learned and an opportunity to be explored for the mutual benefit of our institutions. This spring we delivered micro credentials in design thinking to students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and expertise in finance and entrepreneurship at Fryeburg Academy. This summer, we’ll host international students from Maine Central Institute, and in October, MSSM will host its Robotics Symposium at Thomas College.

Doris Bonneau of Auburn, Maine (left) and I were delighted to meet up with Dr. Glenn Cummings, the former President of the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham and Lewiston, during the inauguration ceremonies. Always a pleasure to speak with Dr. Cummings! 

Thomas College has taken important steps toward becoming the college of the future, and next year our pace will only increase. The future of higher education is being written today at Thomas College. Join us, keep reading, and—when higher education is the topic—share our story!

Sending my best to you,


Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, Ph.D.
President