Dr. Jim Dlugos is the president of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. In his time as president, Dlugos has
passed a strategic plan called Sustaining the Promise. In the plan are goals to propel the college forward, but also to look at the campus and the education system in a new way–including seeking new, business opportunities that promote intergenerational learning. This year the college will begin a campus-wide
expansion plan, which includes renovation of a 150-year-old stone barn to create space for weddings and conferences. This project has inspired a new hospitality program as well as a culture of entrepreneurship at the school. Dlugos believes the higher education world is currently focused on lowering costs and also on technology. “While these are all important issues and need to be discussed, the most fundamental change is much more basic—we need to transition higher education from being institutionally focused to being person- and learner-centered.” Dlugos sees St. Joseph’s as being a school for lifelong learning. The curriculum incorporates courses for undergraduates, graduate students, online and continuing education, as well as summer sessions. Dlugos currently serves as the chair of the Presidents’ Council of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Committee on Policy Analysis and Public Relations.