Nido Qubein’s stupid university gamble
August 25, 2014
By Jerry Bellune
Visionaries attract skeptics and detractors.
Walt Disney’s family said a theme park was stupid.
But look what he did with Disneyland.
Nido Qubein has had his share of skeptics, too.
He had vision as High Point University’s president.
He aimed to make it the school of the future.
He invested a billion dollars to make that happen.
He asked his friends to donate millions of dollars.
He matched that with his own money.
Here’s what Nido did with the money:
• Attracted and retained the best faculty and staff.
That included hiring 250 new teachers.
• Acquired 300 more acres of land for the school.
• Built new dorms, classrooms and stadiums.
• Added a 200-seat academic and student life theater.
• Opened a fine restaurant to teach culinary arts.
• Added biochemistry, economics and physics.
• Art, design, health and communication schools.
• Doctoral degrees in three disciplines.
Freshman SAT scores rose more than 100 points.
Enrollment jumped from 1,450 to 4,300 students.
If Disney designed a college, it would be High Point.
Here’s an even more remarkable part of the story.
At age 17, Nido came to the U.S. to attend college.
He had $50 and spoke little English.
But his mother had prepared him well.
She believed he would succeed at whatever he did.
He attended Mount Olive, a small Baptist college.
He earned a B.A. at High Point University.
A masters at the University of North Carolina.
Three honorary doctorates from his alma maters.
Today he rises at 4 a.m. to start work.
He’s committed to answer every call and email.
Was his gamble stupid? You decide.
Recommended reading
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Next: Time is money.
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