Piggybacking on the resounding success of his most recent plan for DePauw, President Brian Casey announced yesterday his plan for 3020.
"DePauw 2020 was such a smash hit, I thought, 'Why wait until it happens, let's plan further ahead,'" Casey said. "So this plan is about integrating DePauw with outer space, finding ways to connect people from other planets to people at DePauw, and, crucially, finding solutions so people can get to DePauw easily from the moon."
Casey said he anticipates that many universities will have lunar campuses in the next millennium, and the key will be getting students out to DePauw's Lunar Nature Park. He said he hopes to connect the campuses with a walking bridge from campus to Blackstock Asteroid Stadium, located in the Earth's orbit, and the Lunar Nature Park.
"I'm really curious about the possibility of a big bridge that can literally bridge the gap," Casey said.
Increasing students and faculty from other planets will be crucial to a better DePauw in 3020, too, he said.
"Our internationalization initiative under Bob Bottoms was incredibly successful, and by 3000 we should have students from every state and country on Earth," Casey said. "And they've added so much. Today, we have the opportunity to bring green, orange and purple faces into our classrooms. And diversity is more than skin deep — I really want a diverse student body in terms of experiences, backgrounds and type of air breathed. It's so incredibly exciting."
Vice President of Lunar Initiatives Christopher Wells said this is an "exciting" time for the university.
"There is an increased buzz about DePauw that's drumming up [interplanetary] interest," Wells said.
School administrators are also planning a revision of the school's motto to "Unearthly success."
— Matt Welch