Cumberland University President Paul Stumb talks enrollment, degree ROI and free speech
Over the last several weeks, presidents of both public and private universities have been making the case for Tennesseans to get their four-year degrees.
They talked about the economic benefits and the workforce requirements of the 21st century, but they also addressed prospective students' concerns about cost and incurring debt.
On Episode 384 of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Cumberland University President Paul Stumb echoed those points and also discussed how his institution has grown in enrollment and kept student costs down.
He emphasized the need for students to get a return-on-investment for their degrees, which is an issue recently highlighted by the State Collaborative on Education Reform at its annual breakfasts across Tennessee.
Stumb previously appeared on the program in 2021. At that time, the pandemic still raged, vaccines were new and many colleges were struggling with enrollment.
This time, in addition to what's happened since then, we discussed hot topics such as free speech on college campuses and also the need for colleges to play a role as regional leaders.
A Navy veteran, Stumb compared the role of a college president to that of a preacher and said it's important to have an excellent work ethic and the ability to adapt.
Watch the video for the full conversation.
About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes: Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063 or email him at dplazas@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Cumberland University's Paul Stumb talks enrollment and free speech
