Being The Change

Undergraduate applications to JMU have increased by more than 80% over the last five years, smashing records. Vice President for Enrollment Management Melinda Wood discusses the factors contributing to this incredible increase in JMU's national and international popularity, and how the university plans to navigate increased competition as college-aged populations decline. 

Eric ('91) and Lara ('92) Major describe how their support for JMU brings them great joy. And, as the university gears up for Giving Day on Feb. 27, Nick Langridge (’00, ’07M, ’14Ph.D.), vice president for University Advancement, explains how generosity is actually good for us emotionally and biologically. 

JMU alumni Jeff Gorman ('12) and Jake Cochran ('12), who comprise the critically-acclaimed band Illiterate Light, discuss their origins at JMU, their unique live act, and powering guitar amplifiers with bicycles. The Washington Post calls their sound "massive," and they currently are touring nationally.

Mary Sullivan, who coordinates the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) initiative for JMU and the region, describes how the program connects Virginia businesses with Virginia students looking for work-based learning opportunities. Ryzing Technologies’ Ross Ruffing describes how the program helped to double the opportunities at his company in Staunton, Virginia.

There's a shortage of health care workers, especially nurses, in Virginia and beyond. Dr. Melody Eaton, director of the JMU School of Nursing, explains why this has occurred and how the school is working to solve the crisis with unique curricular solutions and by expanding capacity. 

Librarian Liz Thompson and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Malika Carter-Hoyt discuss how Open Education Resources in the JMU Libraries are helping students find alternatives to paying the high price of some textbooks and course materials. 

Ranked Virginia’s “Best School for Getting a Job” several years running, JMU is committed to preparing its graduates for the workforce. Myles Surrett and Libby Westley with the University Career Center discuss how our alumni are making their way in the “real world” more successfully than their peers from other institutions.

Traci Zimmerman, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Shannon Wilson, the college's director of Professional Development and Engagement, answer the question of whether a degree in the liberal arts is worth the investment, and what JMU is doing to make certain career outcomes for students in these majors are optimal.

The Carrier Library renovation currently underway is a stunning project that will ultimately grace campus with a facility befitting JMU's rise. Join Dean of Libraries Bethany Nowviskie and members of her team to hear more about this exciting addition to campus.