Interview with NVCC President Anne M. Kress

University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) President Loren Blanchard has moved back and forth between a campus and a system. Now as a University President he finds it takes “strong policies that need to be in place that can augment and give support to the work we are trying to get achieved to make sure that ultimately our students are going to graduate with knowledge, skills, and dispositions that empower them with readiness for either graduate school, the work force, or further self-exploration.”

Unique role a campus plays in a broader portfolio of a system

Doug asked how UHD fits into the system and how having been in a system helps President Blanchard understand and appreciate its place in the larger system.  To give context, President Blanchard compared California State University, which has twenty-three universities in their system and the University of Houston, which has four universities. “Where I really see the difference between University Houston Downtown and University Houston Main Campus” is that the main campus’ goal is to be in the top 15 research universities. The Downtown campus is working toward each student earning their degree in essential services like nurses, teachers, and police officers that “inspires” generations that come after that one person.

Transitioning in the midst of COVID

Bridget was intrigued by President Blanchard's successful transition during COVID.  President Blanchard said, “When I was at California State University, the role I played at the system level was really helping create policies that could best understand what should be the ways in which we are going to have a viable educational enterprise while shifting to the virtual modality.” He went on to explain there is a “big difference between the policy level and the practice level” like the difference in policies from California to Texas. “My biggest discovery was understanding how important it is to have ongoing professional development support for faculty, staff, and students.” By having regular training that gives checklists and addresses how to handle events that could happen like wildfires, hurricanes, pandemics, etc. such as who to contact and how to keep moving forward help bring stability in the midst of change.

The core of our work transcends politics

President Blanchard shared, “Moving young people from one level of economic or social mobility to the next… the empowering factor is education… It transcends politics.”

Advice

“Results matter most. Talk becomes cheap.” President Blanchard shared putting together a new strategic plan as an example. In California, he showed evidence annually of an increase in graduation rates, progress in eliminating equity gaps, and meeting workforce goals.

Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Jeff Selingo, author, columnist, and special advisor at Arizona State University, are inviting insight and experiences from presidents and chancellors of universities navigating the challenge in real-time. Today's guest is Michael Sorrell, who is the president of Paul Quinn College. President Sorrell is one of the 10 most innovative college presidents in the country and one of the world's top 50 leaders.

President Sorrell  stays positive because of the gratitude for the amount of family time he gets to have; the sight of his family sharing his office and going in-and-out of it makes him happy. Part of his career involves being a crisis manager, so he feels like he is at an advantage and could plan to send students home on time.

President Sorrell`s  leadership principle is on the base of love, and he is more concerned about the wellbeing of his staff and students. He has created a safe space in staff meetings to encourage staff members to open up to boost their productivity.

President Sorrell said the best course of action is to be honest about being overwhelmed because nobody has ever lived through a pandemic. Accepting his vulnerability and acting to minimize regrets, being cautious, and analyzing the situation carefully.

How is He Still Optimistic About the Future of His School?

President Sorrell shares his story about how his school was at a rough patch when he took over, and they came out and kept going irrespective of the sad odds. He likened the experience of Paul Quinn at that point to the current pandemic and said the difficulties would provide room for growth. Sorrell quotes lessons from his faith, saying, “without the test, you will never get a testimony” and says this is the time to be resilient as leaders to raise resilient students. He advises: if you pray, pray, then get up and believe in the inevitability of your success.

He said there is a need for a message of hope, and focusing on other people helps him. He is reading Just Mercy by Stevenson, On Duties, and Building an International University. Family time, exercising, and a positive mindset have kept him going so far.

Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Jeff Selingo, author, columnist, and special advisor at Arizona State University, are inviting insight and experiences from presidents and chancellors of universities navigating the challenge in real-time. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University since 2002 and a recognized leader in higher education innovation.

President Crow notes that neither he nor his staff have worked this hard but are working to give their best. He states that holding up is a function of working in the speed of the current fashion, driving as hard as you can, picking up the pace of innovation, advancing new ideas, and trying to adjust to recent encounters.

President Crow explains a sailing analogy that portrays all the people in academia as sailors at sea, experiencing varying wave conditions. President Crow said a time like this is like 30-40-foot waves as opposed to the regular, stable seas because of many challenges that are occurring at the same time. He said the key is maintaining seaworthiness while being prepared for damages that come with the storm and adapting, adjusting, and preparing to make alterations to move forward regardless of the tides.

According to President Crow, staying focused on the outcome which is maintaining an environment for learners to learn and advance is vital, because education is essential to the country's success. Being able to focus on what you can control in whatever the changing circumstance is the principal notion.

President Crow said you have to deal with a back and forth between planning and adjusting because planning is useless when the battle begins. They have tried to implement alternative plans, carry out projects, and add dimensionality in implementing visions.

Interview with Georgia State University President M. Brian Blake

Today on the Innovating Together podcast, we interview Chancellor Cindy Larive from UC Santa Cruz. When asked to share her journey from chemist to chancellor, she said, “I started my academic career at the University of Kansas, and I’m a chemist. When I was about 40, I was asked if I wanted to go to a leadership academy. I thought about it. I talked to my husband. I thought, I don’t think that’s for me. I really liked doing science. I was running a big lab. So I turned it down. A couple of times along my journey, I wondered maybe I should have done that. When I became department chair, I discovered I could make things happen that were good for my department, colleagues, and students. That changed my perspective a little. I still continued my lab right up until I came to UC Santa Cruz. Now I’m not a practicing chemist anymore. I really enjoy making the university a place where other people can succeed and focus on research and teaching.”

Dr. Bridget Burns and Dr. Tiffany Polite from University Innovation Alliance (UIA) interviewed Dr. Amelia Parnell from NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Dr. Parnell wrote a book titled “You are a Data Person: Strategies for Using Analytics on Campus.” Her target audience is anyone who works in higher education in any position. She gathered context for the book by interviewing 40 professionals from a variety of roles to learn about their uses of data in their daily work. The book reflects themes from those discussions and introduces the Data Identity Framework, which describes six core competencies that are key to making data-informed decisions. The six areas are:

Dr. Burns reflected that the book sounds like it gives the reader confidence to use data to be an informed decision maker. Establishing the appropriate sequencing, timing, and pace using big data is doable for anyone in a collaborative environment, according to Dr. Parnell.

The most popular question, especially from graduate students, is “which is better, quantitative, or qualitative?” Dr. Parnell likes both. “Almost every conversation comes back to strategic communication.” Dr. Parnell said the book is not meant to be a one-time read. “I think the goal is to convince the reader… to have a lifelong commitment to building out a set of skills.” It’s a quick read, but a book you can come back to over and over as you develop these skill sets.

Dr. Burns recommends the book as a holiday gift or pass around the office, and asked for Dr. Parnell’s background. Dr. Parnell shared that her experiences in legislative policy, student affairs, research, and graduate teaching all reflect her passion for making complicated topics easy to understand and accessible.

Dr. Parnell responded to an audience question regarding how to brief one’s boss with data. She said, “For example, if you received a question from a senior leader who is curious about the number of transfer students who come to the campus from more than 500 miles away, a good first step is to probe to clarify what the senior leader is trying to accomplish. A key question to ask in doing so is how the requested data would be used. After ensuring that the desired use of the data is clear, the next step is to complete the analysis and provide the results.” Parnell suggests that a good approach for sharing results is to start by providing brief bullet points, which can help the colleague clearly identify relevant information.

“I have never been more excited,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski in a recent Weekly Wisdom interview with UIA Executive Director Bridget Burns and Inside Higher Ed Editor and Co-Founder Doug Lederman. Dr. Hrabowski was reflecting on his plans to retire in June 2022 after thirty years as president of UMBC.  He is excited because the University is doing so well. Students, faculty, and staff are excelling and are sustaining UMBC’s supportive community, and the legislature is continuing to invest in higher education across the state. His next chapter will involve talking about the UMBC model, and further supporting the success of all students, with leaders across the country.

Bridget asked Dr. Hrabowski to share the most surprising thing about his career. He shared, “The challenges of humankind are always there. You have the same feelings you had when you were 25 or 30. The other part is the wonderful experience of drawing on life to help you get through the next period. And most important, the few words we give to people of encouragement can make a big difference. I’ve seen that over and over again. How do we support each other as we go through these challenging times? We connect to other people. We either elevate them or bring them down.”

Doug asked, “What skills and attributes do future presidents need to have?” Dr. Hrabowski responded with authenticity, honesty, and humility. He shared the importance of being “humble enough to own mistakes and know when we need help. We are going through a period of time when people are questioning the truth. Optimism says we can be realistic, but we can get through this.”

“Is there anything you recommend people do to help them be successful in their career?” Bridget asked. Dr. Hrabowski responded, “I talk about one's health: physical, emotional, mental health.” He acknowledged leadership positions can be stressful. He has seen what happens to leaders who did not take care of themselves physically or mentally. “We need to take the time to look at everything from nutrition to physical health to having people to talk to about the challenges that affect one's mental state. The more secure one is, the more one can say, ‘I need help’ given what we go through.”

Active listening is something Dr. Hrabowski has learned through the course of his career. As a young college president, he felt an expectation to be at the center of conversations and always have something illuminating to say. But over time he came to focus on asking questions, listening, and bringing in new voices. That active listening approach became core to his leadership style and how he mentors emerging leaders. He appreciates the phrase, “smile more, talk less.”

Discussing the broader national landscape, he noted the important role of colleges and universities in helping people learn how to understand different points of view and be comfortable with discomfort. These skills, he suggests, will help our future leaders productively communicate across differences and collaborate to solve our biggest challenges.

Bridget was curious about the things Dr. Hrabowski will miss at UMBC. He said, “I will miss walking around the campus, hearing people speak French to me… being in the midst of it.”

He also shared helpful advice he heard years ago from civic leader and philanthropist Walter Sondheim, who told him, “Live life seriously, but don’t take it seriously.”

Change is bittersweet, he summarized, but laughter and an optimistic attitude help leaders connect in a meaningful way to other people. He closed the interview with one of his favorite phrases: “Keep hope alive!”

Interview with U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal

Background

Today on the Innovating Together Podcast, we are interviewing President L. Song Richardson. President Richardson is the 14th President of Colorado College. She started in that position in the summer of 2021. Most recently, she was the Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. During this interview, we addressed leading during COVID, compared her position as dean with her current position as president, and the importance of students having access to higher education and the removal of barriers to success.

Leading during COVID

Bridget asked President Richardson to share what it was like to start as a new leader during COVID in a remote world. President Richardson stated that it has been an opportunity to “hone her skills of communication and just being present.” She shared that it is important to be deliberate in getting to know people. In a digital world, she observed she cannot be as spontaneous as she can in person. Seeing 40 people in little boxes on Zoom, she had to make a more conscious effort to pay attention to who was communicating and who wasn’t and to make sure she engaged with everyone on the call. However, she also noticed Zoom and the chat function made it easier for some people to communicate who might not feel comfortable speaking up in public in a group. “It provides a variety of different ways for people to engage with each other and with me.”

Contrasting positions as President vs. Dean

President Richardson reflected on the enormity of being the final decision maker as president, whereas when she was dean, there was a chancellor to address the most important decisions. She finds that the enormity of being president is humbling. She was surprised that her career path in law led her to become the president of a college, but said that she is guided by those times when her values and beliefs intersect with a wonderful opportunity. The Colorado College presidency was a match with her values.

Access and removing barriers to success

Bringing people of a broad range of backgrounds and experiences in and creating an environment where they can be successful is essential to President Richardson.

The cost of higher ed is a top challenge. “If I could wave a magic wand, I would make tuition free for all students. But even with free tuition, it does not mean everyone is set up for success. How do we encourage those courageous conversations?” In addition, she tries to create a healthy culture where people acknowledge failure, learn from it, and apply that growth toward innovating. She is open and vulnerable with her team about changing decisions she has made that were not good decisions. She also likes to ask her senior leaders to share mistakes that they have made and what they learned from them. Modeling that is especially important for students, she said. “How do we encourage resilience and grit and being comfortable with failure?” When people approach her about the challenges and obstacles we are facing today, she feels optimistic because they are invested: They care enough to want solutions.

Advice

“The best advice I like is from Brene’ Brown about ‘being in the arena. Taking the armor off and knowing you are in the arena fighting the good fight, trying to move forward. Don’t be so worried about armoring yourself. True leadership is being vulnerable, showing what that looks like. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s OK.’ ”

She said self-reflection, and self-leadership, are more important than criticizing others.

“Ask yourself, are you leading yourself the way you want others to lead?”