New Member Presentation
Dennis Bennett - aka "Betty's Husband"
Born in San Francisco area and attended Catholic School then off to San
Jose State. During that time he was the "Playground Leader" working at Santa Clara Parks and Recreations Department as he loved working with kids; a "professional Tour Guide" as he recalls it.
After College Dennis worked the corporate route with companies like Lockheed Martin, in Procurement, doing the "merry-go-round" for 30 years. In 2003 moved to Arnold with Dennis taking the leap of faith to become a consultant; lasting for another 13 years.
Why Auburn / Rotary - living in Santa Clara then in Arnold, Dennis and Betty talked about never feeling the "Sense of Community" or a "genuine" town; but after visiting Auburn, they found it and moved here. Betty joined Rotary and by-default so did Dennis; as he was continually seen helping at events like the annual BBQ because he "wanted to give back".
Dennis and Betty have been happily married since 1992, and
if you want to know about the Goat Tattoo, lets just say.....Hiking, Europe...Affection..well, you'll have to fill in the blanks, or ask him!
Welcome Dennis, two halves make the whole, Auburn Rotary is glad to have you both.
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Dr. John Jackson gave an energetic presentation of William
Jessup University (WJU) The history of WJU is split into versions:
(1.0) - 1939-1989: Birthed as San Jose Bible College
-Legacy of Pastors and Missionaries
(2.0) 1989-2004: Changed name in 1989 to San Jose Christian College
-Legacy of Intent and Relocation
(3.0) 2004-2015: Moved to Rocklin in 2004 to become William Jessup University
-Legacy of Program Development and Platforms
(4.0) 2016- ? Becoming a Highly Ranked, Broadly Accessible, Financially Sustainable University ..WE’VE GOT NEWS!!
-Legacy of Personal and Corporate Transformation
Some facts and information about the College:
- From 2002-2016 was ranked as the 3rd fastest growing university in the country. It has triples in size.
- ~1,100 students with ~550 residing on campus
- Top 5 programs are: 1) Business, 2) Psychology 3) Education 4) Biology 5) Kinesiology
- 94% of students are offered some form of financial aid.
- The school provides ~$14m in assistance to students each year
- 92% of graduates get full-time positions or continue to Graduate school
- WJU focuses on providing curriculum that will prepare students for "the next/future" jobs that will be created in the marketplace.
- WJU is working to move towards a one-price 4-year degree, meaning tuition costs are locked-in.
Dr. Jackson continued with WJU is focused on "Liberal Arts" cirriculum, but there is a newer definition of what Liberal Arts means, it means students can: Read, Write, Think and Speak Well. Additionally, 5 skills are reinforced: 1) Anticipatory Thinkers, 2) Risk Tolerant and Supportive of Creativity and Innovation, 3) Effective conveners/brokers/facilitators, 4) Courageous decision makers and 5) Resilient and able to “bounce forward” after a crisis or setback.
The 4 Primary Areas of Dr. Jackson focused on from 2011-2016: were:
1)Raise our Profile
2)Expand our Programs with Quality
3)Secure our Financial Future
4)Grow our People
The future goals in 2017-2021 are:
1)Transformative Leadership
2)Innovative Scholarship
3)Diverse Christian Community
4)Financially Sustainable
The link to WJU. http://www.jessup.edu/
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Rotarian Questions included:
Q-How is WJU handling new technology like AI
A- The Computer Science program is in the 3rd year and WJU is finding ways to integrate VR into programs
Q-How does WJU handle Tenure
A- Tenure as we know it has been outlived, WJU is built on professors developing a "culture of caring"; and professors have annual reviews.
Q- Demographics of WJU
A- ~80% of students come from a 4-hour drive time, ~90% from CA
Thank you Dr. Jackson for an informative presentation.
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Weekly Meeting Question-
How long did the Hundred Years' War last?
Mitch Hanna tried the Google answer , but the table still paid the $1
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Speaking of Mitch Hanna, he is the proud owner of an certified original, signed copy of Mike Holmes performance in the "The Producers". Purchased at auction for $10.
Larry Rolufs provided another Polio Update, YTD there have been 13 cases of "wild" polio, a few more than last year. 10 in Afghanistan and 3 in Pakistan.
Terry Cooney is starting the preparations for Auburn Rotary's 100-year celebration, as "100 years comes quick"
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