I’m joined today by Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc. Dr. LeBlanc has spent more than 17 years as President of Southern New Hampshire University. If you haven’t heard of SNHU until now, you’re not alone. I hadn’t heard of it either until a mutual connection introduced me to Dr. LeBlanc. It’s definitely worth mentioning that SNHU was #12 on Fast Company magazine’s “World’s Fifty Most Innovative Companies” list and was the only university included. Forbes Magazine has listed Dr. LeBlanc as one of its 15 “Classroom Revolutionaries” and one of the “most influential people in higher education.” After listening to today’s episode, you will understand why. During our conversation, Dr. LeBlanc talks about the key to building resiliency in young people, why finding the right college fit is not as simple as it sounds, and why the choice of college major is far more important than the choice of school. Dr. LeBlanc discusses the three goals he sets every day and the reasons we need more flexibility in higher education. If you are like me, you will be amazed when you hear about the innovative competency-based education model happening at SNHU’s College for America. Be sure to stay tuned until the end when Dr. LeBlanc shares the one most important question that parents should be asking when helping their teen choose a college.
About Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc
Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Under the 17 years of Paul’s direction, SNHU has grown from 2,800 students to over 170,000 learners and is the largest non-profit provider of online higher education in the country. Paul serves on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Board on Higher Education and Workforce. In 2018, Paul was awarded the prestigious TIAA Institute Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. Paul immigrated to the United States as a child, was the first person in his extended family to attend college, and is a graduate of Framingham State University (BA), Boston College (MA), and the University of Massachusetts (Ph.D.). From 1993 to 1996 he directed a technology start-up for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, was President of Marlboro College (VT) from 1996 to 2003, and became President of SNHU in 2003.
Episode Highlights
- The key to building resiliency in young people
- The value of sponsorships rather than mentorships
- The word “fit” is a complex term
- The majority of college students are not living on campus full-time
- Colleges in America are still one-size-fits-all
- Understanding the “jobs to be done” by colleges and universities
- Choice of major is far more important than choice of school
- Addressing the mental health crisis and feeling of not belonging
- Dr. LeBlanc’s three goals for every day
- The need for a more flexible education model
- College for America, competency-based education
- Student-centered education starts to undo the inequities
- Bringing college to refugee learners
- Advice for parents of college-bound kids
- Curating a learning pathway
- Colleges that change lives
- The most important question that parents can ask when helping their teen choose a college
Resources
Southern New Hampshire University website
Students First: Equity, Access and Opportunity in Higher Education by Dr. Paul LeBlanc
Related Episodes
Ep 15: Choosing College with Michael Horn
Ep 81: Exploring Colleges That Change Lives with Kristina Dooley