Page 2 - Spring 2017 Magazine

letter From the President
in Christo oMnia nova
Last fall, I had the honor of teaching the Entrepreneurship and Innovation class at Providence. It was an amazing experience, one that in uenced my thinking about how Providence should be teaching business. In the class, I assigned Robert Sirico’s book Defending the Free Market. In making the moral case for the free market, Sirico contends that the best way to help
the poor is not through the transfer
of wealth, but by o ering jobs that provide dignity, worth, and income. For many of my students, this economic concept was like an intellectual epiphany that completely shook-up their previous worldview.
Through this teaching experience,
I realized not only the value of entrepreneurship training for students at Providence, but also how well this class dovetails with the liberal arts. Having seen how liberal arts and entrepreneurship support one another, I, along with my executive team, have begun to envision how innovation
can become more central to the life and learning at Providence. We have begun introducing innovation thinking into some of our decision making; we have started thinking about how we can be more purposeful in teaching entrepreneurship throughout our business concentration and to all
students at the college; and we
are laying the groundwork for an entrepreneurship and innovation club for students.
This is only one of the many ways in which Providence continues to lay
the foundation for the growth of
the college. Other examples include the addition of our Health Science Concentration, our full membership
in the NAIA and the hiring of a new athletic director, and our continued push in the academic rigor of the liberal arts degree with which each student is trained to be a critical thinker, e ective communicator, and lifelong learner.
As you read through this issue of Providence magazine, you will see the incredible impact of a Providence education on current students and alumni and the foundational growth that the college is continuing to experience. We heartily ask for your support in prayers and giving and
in sharing the word about what Providence is doing in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and the world.
Blessings,
Dr. Jim Belcher, President
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providencecc.edu