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President’s Report 2015
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
Dreams - Plans - Commitment Piedmont College’s tree was planted in 1897 when New Englanders founded a college in the rural Northeast Georgia Mountains. From the beginning, sojourners, locals and administrators of the college mustered up their collective imagination and dreams and forged ahead to create a small liberal arts school to serve the families of the area. Excellence and Distinction: Inquiry, Service and Legacy‌ this is our mission and the values we strive for today. Though these words were articulated most recently in our latest round of strategic planning, they well reflect the values and aspirations of the leaders of the college in its earlier history - always striving for excellence among our students. As we plan, we contemplate the energy and efforts of the past, and we dream about future possibilities. Success is achieved by providing resources and making a consistent, focused effort toward transforming the lives of our students. Ultimately, the extent of our accomplishments will be determined by the commitment of everyone - students, staff, faculty, alumni, trustees and friends. In this report, we highlight but a few of the indicators that our dreams and plans are contributing to the distinctive success of Piedmont College. We anticipate the future with enthusiasm, pride and enduring commitment. James F. Mellichamp President
“I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.” – Eleanor Roosevelt For the last two years, Piedmont College has welcomed the largest freshman classes in history, highlighting a decade when undergraduate enrollment has grown by more than one-third.
“Why not hit the pitch you want to hit?”– Johnny Mize Piedmont College was pleased to host the 2014 NCAA Division III South Regional Baseball Tournament at Loudermilk Field, May 14–18, 2014. Four Piedmont College student-athletes in volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, and softball were named to the 2013-14 CapitalOne Academic All-American Teams for Division III. Only 18 studentathletes per sport in Division III can receive this prestigious honor.
“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.” – Joseph Joubert In 2014, the Piedmont College Debate Team won the Volunteer Classic International Public Debate Association Tournament at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the International Public Debate Association Tournament at the University of North Georgia. The team looks forward as host and competitor to the prestigious Georgia Parliamentary Debate Association State Championship Tournament at Piedmont College in February 2015.
“You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement.” – Woodrow Wilson Piedmont College has been selected by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J., as one of five Georgia universities to participate in a program designed to help attract the nation’s very best science, technology, engineering, and math candidates to the teaching profession, with a focus on high-need Georgia secondary schools.
“It seems equally possible that the grace I need will come to me in the dark, where I too may learn to see the celestial brightness that has nothing to do with sight.” – Barbara Brown Taylor Learning to Walk in the Dark Barbara Brown Taylor is the Harry R. Butman Professor of Religion at Piedmont College and has published thirteen highly regarded books of sermons and spiritual writings. She has been honored by Baylor University as one of the twelve most effective preachers in the world, and in 2014 she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” – Robert Browning
At the end of its 117th year, Piedmont College welcomes the completion of a new 58,000 square foot Student Commons. Over the past 15 years, more than $120 million has been invested in improvements to meet a growing student population.
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