President's Letter

The mission of Ferris State University is to be a national leader in providing career-oriented technological and professional education. This ambitious undertaking has been a driving force at Ferris, but the term “career-oriented” has a variety of meanings based on one’s perspective. To advocates of vocational and technical education, it means career-specific job training. To advocates of the liberal arts education, it means providing the foundation needed to succeed in any career.

At Ferris, it is both these things, and more.

The largest contributing factor to the Ferris State University mission has been the educational philosophy in vogue at the time Woodbridge Ferris founded the Big Rapids Industrial School (which came to be called Ferris Institute, Ferris State College, and today, Ferris State University). The educational approach – innovative at the time – was to balance the intellectual with the practical; to combine the theoretical and the applied. Ferris was a strong advocate of this educational philosophy. He designed programs that responded to economic needs while providing graduates with an understanding of broader societal needs and the abilities to meet them.

One hundred and fifty years after W.N. Ferris’ birth, the institution he founded continues to set itself apart by delivering nationally recognized career-oriented programs. The Ferris model of career-oriented education contains six key elements:

• instruction that gives relevance to general education
• program laddering, with multiple entry and exit options
• connections to the world of work
• state-of-the-industry facilities
• hands-on, real-life experiences
• practical instruction with high academic standards.

Thousands of alumni from throughout the country and around the world have received a career-oriented education from Ferris State University. They now serve as experts in their chosen fields and meet the wider needs of their communities and society. Their efforts, the Ferris mission and the University’s distinctive approach to career-oriented education will ensure that Ferris State continually enhances its reputation as a national leader in career education.

Sincerely,

William A. Sederburg
President

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