Mark McCoy, Ph.D., was president of DePauw University from March 2016 through July 2020, having served previously as dean of the DePauw University School of Music from 2011-2016. A first generation college student and the son of a coal miner, Dr. McCoy was committed to making DePauw an even greater place to learn, live, and work, with an emphasis on building new bonds between the campus and the city to create what he calls a "communiversity." He was instrumental in bringing increased arts programming and new businesses to a revitalized downtown near campus. In 2018, Dr. McCoy created the DePauw Gold Commitment, which formally guarantees that all graduates will find jobs or be admitted into graduate programs after receiving their bachelor's degrees. He created the DePauw Centers Council and united it under the leadership umbrella through a $20 million dollar gift to create the Sanger Leadership Initiative. A committed educator, Dr. McCoy has taught at the primary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. His diverse educational background makes him a firm believer in and product of both the professional school and the liberal arts tradition. In this interview Dr. McCoy shares some of his thoughts on higher education.