What Does It Mean to Have Heart?
Posted on October 15, 2026
The beginning of the academic year provides the opportunity to focus and reconnect with what brings us together and why our work matters. At Owens, we are introducing the theme of Owens Has Heart. Through this effort, we are breathing new life into our strategic plan by amplifying who we are and leaning into one of our greatest strengths.
Having heart means believing that people have the capacity and ability for achievement —to create opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities. That belief calls us to act.
For more than 60 years, Owens Community College has helped people change their lives through education. Owens Has Heart asks us to recenter with that purpose and consider how we bring it to life every day.
But what does that look like in practice?
It means understanding the circumstances students bring with them and helping them overcome barriers so they can take responsibility for their learning and their future. Many balance college with jobs, families, financial pressures and other responsibilities. To help them succeed, Owens must be student-ready— prepared to meet students where they are and respond with the programs, resources and support that help them move forward.
That support goes hand in hand with accountability. We expect students to do the work, take ownership of their learning and develop the knowledge, skills and resilience they will need beyond Owens. Our responsibility is to help them address the barriers that stand in their way while challenging them to achieve what we know they are capable of.
Students entrust us with their time, resources and goals. We owe them high-quality programs that lead to meaningful opportunities to continue their education, begin or advance in a career and build the lives they envision for themselves.
That responsibility is reflected across Owens. We continually strengthen teaching and learning while connecting students with academic, financial and personal support. Our partnerships with schools, universities, employers and community organizations create clearer pathways from education to employment as well as regional vitality.
Having heart also shapes how we work with one another, and pushes us to be an employer of choice. At Owens, we strive to build a community of employees that are rooted in our mission, dedicated to our vision, and committed to students throughout Northwest Ohio.
Our heart extends well beyond our campuses.
Northwest Ohio has tremendous potential, and Owens has a responsibility to help our region realize it. As a driver of economic and workforce development, we must foster existing partnerships and build new ones. We must continue to listen to business and industry while remaining true to our students and the opportunities they are working toward.
Those responsibilities are interdependent. When students gain the education and skills to pursue meaningful careers, their families and communities benefit. When employers can find and develop the talent they need, they can grow. A stronger regional economy, in turn, creates more possibilities for our students.
Owens Has Heart is a commitment we bring to life through our decisions and our work. We do it when we help a student overcome a barrier, strengthen a program, support a colleague or build a partnership that opens a new path to opportunity.
What does it mean to have heart?
It means seeing what people and our region are capable of—and taking action to help them get there.
Dione D. Somerville, Ed.D.
President