An op-ed by Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, appeared over the weekend in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. In the piece, Zupan discusses the importance of answering the question “Why?” as it applies to students realizing their purpose.
An op-ed by Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, appeared over the weekend in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. In the piece, Zupan discusses the importance of answering the question “Why?” as it applies to students realizing their purpose.
The op-ed, titled “Why ‘why?’ is how we should start more questions,” appeared in the Sunday, Aug. 24, issue of the Democrat and Chronicle.
“Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek argues that individuals and organizations succeed by answering the Why Question: Why do I exist? Effectively defining one's contribution to the world is at the core of creating a purposeful life. Individuals with clearly identified purposes live longer and are healthier and happier,” Zupan wrote.
“At Alfred University, our campus community and Board of Trustees recently had this conversation when we revised our mission statement. When it comes to prioritizing time, staff and budget, it helps to have a shared understanding of why we do what we do. We endorsed condensing our mission statement to five words: helping students realize their purpose.”
Zupan discussed how Alfred University’s three core strengths—intersections, mentorship, and inclusivity—help guide students to realizing their purpose, answering the question, “Why?”
