Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D., spoke as an expert panelist to several hundred business leaders across Fayetteville and Cumberland County on Tuesday at the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal Power Breakfast at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D., spoke as an expert panelist to several hundred business leaders across Fayetteville and Cumberland County on Tuesday at the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal Power Breakfast at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
The topic of Higher Education and how schools may walk alongside other businesses in the area was wonderfully illustrated through the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine and how MU and CFVH have merged their areas of expertise to create an outcome that will make a monumental difference for healthcare in Southeast North Carolina for decades to come.
Wearden shared with the audience that these types of relationships need to happen for future successes and partnerships.
“These partnerships are critically important, and there has to be a systematic way to have regular conversations about what are the needs of businesses – ‘What do you think your needs are going to be next year, what do you think those needs will be next month, and what do you need from us (in higher education) to address those needs?’“ he said. “Our schools can then prepare students and meet your needs, but here’s what we need from the businesses… We need an ongoing relationship, so we don’t just create programs to meet that immediate need. It has to be more than that.”
Wearden was joined as a panelist by Fayetteville State University Chancellor Darrell T. Allison, Fayetteville Technical Community College President Dr. Mark Sorrells, and Sandhills Community College President Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Stewart. Each of those schools have partnerships with MU to better serve students.
Opening the event was Quincy Malloy, Ed.D., who is MU’s vice president for Engagement, Community, & Belonging. As MU was a presenting sponsor of the event, Malloy was afforded the opportunity to welcome the audience and share a few remarks about higher education and its role in the community.
“The link between education and business has never been more important than it is now,” he said. “Through collaboration, we shape our futures, our workforce, our economy, and our community.”