Author Profile

Vic Brown

Vic Brown had a thirty-year career in the chemical industry with FMC Corporation, where he held senior positions and worked internationally in sales, marketing, manufacturing, information technology and procurement.

In 2002 he embarked on a second career in academia, on the faculty and staff of Ursinus College, teaching in the Department of Business and Economics until his retirement in 2015.

Brown has served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, consults on a regular basis for industry, and is a freelance writer. He is the author of the book “Welcome to College - Your Career Starts Now!"

He blogs at victorbrown.net, can be followed on Twitter (@VicBrownFaculty), and can be reached via email (vicbrown@me.com).

Articles by Vic Brown

Dec 2, 2016 · Vic Brown

Professional Excellence: Can It Be Learned in College?

After spending thirty years in a corporate environment, I embarked on a second career as a member of the faculty and staff of a liberal arts college. Each semester I…

Sep 30, 2016 · Vic Brown

Which College or Whether College? Maybe the Feds Can Help, After All

When I enrolled in college back in the prehistoric days of 1966, the process was simple. I went to the high school guidance office, browsed some college catalogs, spoke with…

Jun 3, 2016 · Vic Brown

Welcome to Freshman Orientation, Now Meet Your Career Counselor!

Every semester during my thirteen years of teaching at a liberal arts college, several senior year students would approach me and ask if I “knew of any jobs out there.”…

Mar 4, 2016 · Vic Brown

Needed: Business-Minded College Presidents

Through their experience, business executives are well-equipped to respond to unanticipated market changes, competitive threats, and know how to capitalize on strategic opportunities. Therefore it’s somewhat surprising that most small colleges continue drawing their presidents almost exclusively from the academic ranks.

May 15, 2015 · Vic Brown

College faculty should work full-time; here’s one thing to keep them busier

I believe that colleges need to dramatically step up their game in terms of student course selection and coordination of electives across disciplines, and also to link more substantively to the employer community.

Jan 23, 2015 · Vic Brown

Americans used to save for college; moves toward making it free are not progress

I am strongly committed to higher education, especially in the sciences and math where we are lagging other countries. I also understand that there are students of limited means, and they need a hand up in life. But we seem to no longer draw rational lines between serious students who need assistance, and the many non-serious students who squander it.

Nov 7, 2014 · Vic Brown

The Goucher College video app is a terrible idea

Back in the early 1990s, while I was in the middle of a long business career, I recall reading that the University of Pennsylvania had decided to add an unusual essay requirement for their undergraduate applicants. Specifically, the students were asked to submit â€śPage 217â€ť of their 300-page autobiography. Remember now, these budding autobiographers were all of 17 years old.

Oct 6, 2014 · Vic Brown