Higher education, public must partner to solve problems, UAB dean tells Hoover chamber

Higher education and the public must partner together to bring about the most effective, positive changes in the community, the dean of UAB’s School of Health Professions told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce today.

Dr. Harold Jones, who has been dean for 15 years, expressed concern that the public increasingly fails to see how higher education affects their everyday lives.

“What we usually talk about is decline in financial support,” Jones told the 175 or so people gathered for the chamber’s monthly luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel. “What I’m more interested in is a decline in support for what it is we actually do … What we are is a collection of individuals with knowledge and abilities to solve problems.”

Jones emphasized the need for the community to make the university aware of what the problems are.

He talked about several programs to benefit the public that the university has undertaken with the aid of the community. For example, Gerber approached UAB to help tackle the problem of childhood obesity and diabetes. In return, the university launched several initiatives to alleviate the issue.

“Let us be your partner,” Jones said. “Whatever your issues are, come to us and ask us if there’s a way we can partner with you and help you solve the problem that you find to be the most pressing.”

Once the university has listened to the public, the university can focus its efforts on helping by tailoring teaching and research to solve community problems and partnering with the community to carry out the most effective solutions.

“It is what we owe you as a public institution,” Jones said. “We owe you the greatest value of return.”