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At Oakland University, Hynd takes the helm; Schlussel chairs the board.

Harry Kirsbaum I Contributing Writer

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very good education:'
OU's six-year graduation rate stands at
42.9 percent, according to school officials,
who say this is about average for schools
with predominately commuter student
populations.
The whole process of higher education is
going through a significant metamorphosis,
said Schlussel, who has been involved in
education since he was the first president
of the Jewish Education Service of North
America from 1985 to 1988.
"Except for those exceptional power-
houses like Michigan, Harvard, Yale and
Stanford that are so powerful in terms of
their resources and talent pools, the other
universities in this country are going to
have to establish centers of excellence' he
said. "We have the opportunity to do that
in education, in teacher training, in health
sciences and in engineering:'
He also said the university would not
downplay liberal arts, "the cornerstone of
education:'
"We get too caught up in thinking that
we're becoming trade schools, that if you
want to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer,
an architect, you don't have to know any-
thing other than how to do your job," he
said. "But for the future of society, you have
to have a global view, be educated with
some sense of philosophy, with some sense
of American history and some sense of the
world around you."
Schlussel has been a Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit past president, a
Federation board member since 1980 and
the 1997 Fred M. Butzel award recipient.
He has been married to his wife Rosie
for 51 years. They attend Young Israel of
Southfield and have four married children
and 12 grandchildren.
"My kids all went off to great universi-
ties, but when they were in undergraduate
school, they were being taught by teaching
assistants:' he said. At OU "world-renowned
leaders in their field" teach the class.
"There's a significant difference in that:'
"I would hope that the Jewish commu-
nity would see Oakland for what it is, a
superb educational institution to encourage
their children to attend, to participate in
the philanthropy of helping the university
grow in terms of building its reputation and
be part of our growth and development,"
he said.
Michael Kramer, immediate past OU
board chair, is confident in the new leader-

10 September 25 • 2014

Oakland University President George Hynd and OU Board of Trustees Chairman
Mark Schlussel at the Sept. 12 dedication for OU's new Engineering Center.

ship.
"We have a diamond in the rough in
OU, and with improved leadership at the
university, Mark should continue the focus
on putting together a viable strategic plan
and to develop a viable brand for the uni-
versity:' said Kramer of Bloomfield Hills.
"Mark is a very savvy guy and will look at
the big picture to move the school forward:'

New OU President
Kramer said new OU president George
Hynd is "off to a great start:'
"He is taking his time to get up to speed,
but meeting with all constituencies and
getting good marks from everyone he
has touched:' said Kramer, who attends
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
"He asks all the right questions, and I think
he will be a great leader:'
Schlussel agreed.
"There are lots of areas of growth that
will be required of him, but I think he's up
to the task," he said. "He's got great inter-
personal skills, he's got great intellect and
he has a vision:'
Hynd was appointed Aug. 15 after a

national search.
Longtime president Gary Russi retired in
2013 after an 18-year career.
"When you have a president that serves
that long, the university is used to his poli-
cies, methods and procedures, and that
happened last summer; Schlussel said.
Russi retired at the same time his wife,
Beckie Francis, was terminated as OU's
women's basketball coach, but the two
events weren't related, he said.
"His tenure didn't end in controversy;
there was some controversy that was made
public in relation to his wife and the wom-
en's basketball program," Schlussel said.
"That ended, and he thought it was the
appropriate time to retire:'
OU Associate Vice President for
Outreach Betty J. Youngblood stepped in as
interim president until Hynd, a provost and
professor of psychology at the College of
Charleston in South Carolina, was hired.
Hynd said he learned about OU 20 years
ago through a professor's research on read-
ing disabilities.
"I've met with almost all board members
individually, and I feel a strong sense of

commitment from them to promoting and
enhancing everything we do here at OU,"
he said.
He said he sees three priorities at the
outset.
"I'm looking forward to working with our
deans and everyone on campus on how to
get the word out locally, regionally, nation-
ally and internationally about what an
incredible institution this is and promoting
the excellence in visible ways," he said.
He also wants to reach out to various
supporters and alumni.
"We have almost 100,000 alumni, and
they need to know what we're doing here to
increase the brand of OU fundraising:'
And third: "Work with faculty and stu-
dents to better educate me about the excel-
lence that we offer to our students and to
promote all of the good things we have on
campus.
As we increase our brand, we are
increasing the value of a degree at OU," he
said. "We want to promote the value of the
educational programs we offer here, con-
tinue to use our resources in smart ways
that have enhanced our identity for having
programs of excellence in specified areas. I
still need to learn about our points of pride
and expertise, but I think there are some
points of pride that we have in our aca-
demic arena that really should be gaining
national attention:'
Michael Pytlik, director of OU's Jewish
Studies program, said he was "excited" about
Hynd and Schlussel's appointment.
"I received a personal email from Dr.
Hynd who expressed his interest in the
Judaic Studies program:' Pytlik said. "He
oversaw the project at his previous univer-
sity, which saw Judaic Studies grow from an
academic minor to a major. That is exactly
what we hope to accomplish here in the
future'
The Schostak Family Foundation's
$50,000 pledge in 2007 helped OU establish
a Judaic Studies minor in the College of Arts
and Sciences.
An estimated 700 Jewish students attend
OU.
Hynd says he also is excited about the
Sept. 21 opening of OU's Elliott Tower.
"I sense on campus that there is a sense
of excitement; it is a new day; there's a new
president in town:' Hynd said, "that we are
on the verge of launching into a new itera-
tion of what OU is all about. There is antici-
pation that we are going to be headed off in
some new and exciting things:' H

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