C.D. “Dan” Mote Jr., is an inventor, a professor of engineering and, until Aug. 31, the president of the University of Maryland, College Park. During his nearly 12-year tenure, the school has risen in rankings to the 18th-best public research university in the nation, up from 30th when Mote arrived on campus. A building boom started one year into his presidency has resulted in the Comcast Center sports complex and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Mote, 73, spoke with the Washington Examiner about his life in higher education, and the beliefs that have guided his long journey.
Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
I consider myself to be a very spiritual person, but I don’t belong to a church, and in fact I’ve never been baptized. I believe deeply in many faiths — I track with Judeo-Christian beliefs, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, even Zoroastrianism. The more range I have in listening to people’s beliefs and faiths, the more I find out about humanity. I consider myself a very spiritual person, and a humanist.
So many people feel stuck these days. As an engineer and an educational leader, what has driven your constant forward motion?
I’ve always been a builder — that’s in my nature. For as long as I can remember, I’ve liked to think about big things, and about creating something just great. I’m fascinated by the idea that one person can do big things. I’m fascinated by the reality that one person with clarity of vision and an unwavering determination to move an idea forward can actually make something very, very big happen.
There’s a quote that I like: Don’t fear failure, fear not having dreams. That’s the most important thing. If you really want to do something, it can be done, even if it doesn’t seem very obvious. Have a big dream, and be willing to work like a demon, with unwavering commitment, to get there.
“College-ready” has become the mantra for K-12 educational systems. How well have school districts succeeded?
The number of students entering higher education who need to take remedial classes is very high. We don’t have as many as some, but almost everywhere it’s a big factor. Part of this is that not all K-12 systems had in mind, in the past, that they were preparing their students for higher education. It’s a mind-set that needs to be in place early, even before kindergarten.
What it means to have higher education will vary. It’s not only universities like Maryland, but also vocational colleges and community colleges. We live in a time when quality of life is tied to the quality of education that people get — every measure shows that to be true. Fifty years ago, only 15 percent of students went on to enter higher education. Today, it’s more than 40 percent, and President Obama’s goal is 50 percent. We’re still working on this — I can’t remember a time the nation wasn’t working on this. It hasn’t been fast-moving, but we’re getting better, and our nation needs to do this.
You’ve spent most of your life at universities. How have they transformed?
If you go back to when I entered university as a freshman, the design for higher education was quite simple. It was the Ivy Tower period, and universities were criticized for being detached from society. You came in, took courses, got a degree and left. Ratchet forward in time, and universities have been given more and more responsibility. I think this has come about because they’ve been very effective. They’re one of the most persistent institutions in the history of the world. Why is that? That’s never really been answered, except that they’ve turned out to be creations that allow society the best chance to reform itself in a regular, organized way. That’s why they persist. They bring in bright, young people to constantly challenge the status quo. Do we need change? Yes. But we shouldn’t be too down on higher education — it’s a remarkable institution.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
I believe in integrity. Without integrity, you’ve got nothing — zero. You must be willing to stand for your values even at significant consequence to yourself. I believe in big ideas, grand visions, and I believe in the unwavering commitments that make grand plans happen.
– Leah Fabel
