AU needs to reassert itself as a major player in D.C. and the metropolitan area, President Neil Kerwin said Tuesday during a speech in the McDowell Formal Lounge.
The university has, at times, neglected its home city and region, he said.
"The fact is, Washington, D.C., and American University are joined at the hip forever," Kerwin said. "The successes and failures of this city will reflect ultimately on the successes and failures of AU. Now, as it so happens, Washington, D.C., is the nation's capital - it's the gateway to the world. But it is a city in need of assistance as well, and we are in need of assistance from it."
The primary way the university can help D.C. is by having the School of Education continue to train teachers for D.C. public schools, he said.
"[D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty] is the first in my memory to have the courage to put his political life on the line to change the school system," Kerwin said. "He should be able to depend on institutions like American to help him in that effort."
Kerwin's comments on AU's role in the District came as part of a discussion about his vision for a new strategic plan for the university during the event.
"That strategic plan needs to accomplish a number of things, not the least of which is to be courageous in the types of goals it sets for itself," he said.
To do this, the university would have to be honest about its strengths and weaknesses, Kerwin said.
"I've got some fairly clear views about both what we're doing extremely well and where we need to improve," he said.
The university began using its current strategic plan, the 15-Point Plan, in 2002, according to information on AU's Web site.
The new plan should address issues ranging from the university's academic program to the student experience and faculty development, Kerwin said.
The best way to measure the quality of a student's experience is to see how long that student stays at AU, he said.
"Our retention rate is solid, but it needs to be better," Kerwin said. "We need to lose fewer students, and we have to find out why they're doing it. In some cases, it's unavoidable."
AU retained 87.2 percent of students who entered the university in the fall 2005 semester, according to statistics from the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.
Kerwin began the process of creating a new strategic plan for the university after the board of trustees approved him as its selection for permanent president July 20, ending the presidential search. He officially became president Sept. 1.
The board originally named Kerwin as acting and later interim president of the university Aug. 24, 2005. At that time, it suspended then-President Benjamin Ladner during an investigation into accusations he had misused university funds. The board's investigation later resulted in its decision to dismiss Ladner, The Eagle previously reported.
