23SU N DAY, J U LY 26, 2009T H E E X A M I N ER
CREDO
Alan Merten
Alan Merten grew up in Milwaukee as
the son of a shoe repairman who
never finished high school. But
his parents still managed put him
through college, and today Merten,
67, is the president of George Mason
University.Heuseshispersonalstory
to inspire the many first-generation
Americansandcollegestudentswho
attend his school, recently ranked
the top "up-and-coming national
university" by U.S. News and
World Report. He sat down with
The Examiner to share the faith and
ideas that guide him.
THE INSIDE VIEW
Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
Since my childhood, I've been a member of the Lutheran church. I've
attended Lutheran churches of all stripes but have found over the
years that the leadership and beliefs of the pastors and parishioners
are generally similar to mine in that they have a social agenda, but not
exclusively a social agenda; a biblically based set of beliefs, but the
recognition that part of being a Christian isn't described in detail in
the Bible; a belief in the Bible but an understanding that the times have
changed, so we ask ourselves how to interpret the Bible today with
respect to the time in which it was written.
Does society have an obligation to provide higher education to anyone
who wants it?
A college degree has two sets of benefits. Some are to the individual
and some are to society.
I think a situation in which the cost of higher education is assumed by
both the individual and the general society -- the taxpayer -- is the
best. You want to make it possible for a large number of students to
attend. If tuition gets too high and aid gets too low, then quality peo-
ple won't be able to go to college. If tuition is too low, then students
and families don't feel the same level of commitment.
Should higher education be school systems' ultimate goal for every
student?
I don't think everyone should go to college. We should have, in our K-12
system, the ability to educate and train people to go to college, but we
should also prepare those who, for whatever reason -- whether inter-
est level or ability -- should not go to college. There are many cases
where someone should go to community college for two years. Not
everyone needs four years, but more and more, everyone needs two.
What is the most important thing for your students to take with them
when they leave George Mason?
The first thing is an ability to continue to learn. Secondly, that they
leave with an understanding of self and of others, particularly those
who are different from them. We have students from 140 countries.
I tell students that, while they're here, get to know someone from as
many countries as they can. Third, an ability to assess themselves and
to be honest with themselves about what they're good at and not so
good at, and use that as a way to decide how to proceed.
And I hope students can have a sort of pride. Too much isn't any good
-- but pride to be able to accomplish something. I urge students get
involved in something outside of the classroom, make something hap-
pen, and be proud of yourself.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
There are several one-liners that really drive me. First, people don't
care how much you know until they know about how much you care. In
higher education, there are lots and lots of smart people, but I hope I'm
a person who people realize cares -- about them, about the institution,
about their families, the community. I know a lot, too, but hopefully the
front door is always the caring part.
And I've also said over the years that what gets measured gets better.
If you want to improve something, measure it. But then I heard the
following statement: What really counts is difficult to count -- your
family, your faith, your relationships. So I've come to see my job as a
combination of the two: I want to measure things, and to be concerned
about that, but I don't want to lose the idea that what really counts
can't be measured.
� Leah Fabel

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