With the candidates hoping to fill President Foster’s shoes still unannounced, there are a lot of arguments on what’s important about the new successor.

In this piece, I will not only be arguing that Foster’s replacement does not have to be a Grand Junction local like many believe, but that an outsider’s perspective would be a major contribution to Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) growth.

CMU is an up-and-coming school, and although its small-town charm is an important part of what makes the school so appealing, the new ideas and fresh perspectives of an outsider President could truly spring CMU into the future.

Now, I’m not saying I want CMU to become some kind of Colorado University (CU) Boulder mascot. The school’s small community and Grand Junction community is imperative to keep, but it is just as important that we continue to evolve like our university peers across the country.

As wonderful and unique as Grand Junction is, the variety of untapped ideas are ripe for picking across not only the country but the entire world. From Seattle to Houston and even Tokyo, there are plenty of potential successors with all the criteria and more.

Not only would someone from outside the Western Slopes bring new perspectives, but they would have also likely run into problems that have yet to affect the local CMU community. 

This allows for a new administration that boasts the experience of all CMU’s previous leaders in addition to new experiences a Grand Junction native would simply never have the opportunity to experience. 

Although it may not be life or death when it comes to our next campus president, an outsider successor could be exactly what CMU needs.