Higher Education

Higher Ed Officials Take On The Future

Some 25 college presidents and other high-ranking university officials descended on Ingram’s Freight House district offices on a pleasant May 2 afternoon for a lively discussion of today’s most pressing academic issues. This annual event is the only bi-state gathering of university officials at this level.

Chief among their concerns were the recruitment of diverse students and faculty, the adaptation of the university to contemporary technologies, funding, quality teaching and more.

This assembly was part of Ingram’s Magazine’s ongoing effort to highlight industries and key market sectors throughout Kansas City’s greater metropolitan area, and an insightful and productive assembly this one was. It was chaired by Ron Trewyn of Kansas State University, a co-sponsor of the event.

Student Recruitment

When asked to cite their institution’s greatest challenge, more than a few of the participants pointed at recruitment, both of students and of faculty. In fact, Jim Wilcox, representing “a tuition-driven organization,” namely Avila University, confessed to being “overly obsessed with enrollment, sometimes at the disregard of some of the other important issues that we should be focusing on.” In this, he was not alone.

Paul Klute from Northwest Missouri State University addressed an issue unique to certain parts of the central plains. Even though enrollment trends don’t suggest it currently, the university exists in a region of severely declining population. Indeed, the population of one of the neighboring counties declined by 13 percent in the last decade. “Most of our strategic initiatives,” said Klute, “deal with what’s in the future as far as students coming down the pipeline.”

(front row, left to right)

M. Duane Nellis, Kansas State University

Kathy Marian, Friends University

Edwin Robinson, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Sally Winship, Johnson County Community College

Stephen Minnis, Benedictine University

(middle row, left to right)

Tom Peterman, Park University

David Sallee, William Jewell College

Dale Carder, Central Missouri State University

Carolyn Cottrell, Webster University

Sandra Willsie, Kansas City Univ. of Medicine & Biosciences

James Daley, Rockhurst University

Tom Ellis, Washburn University

Paul Klute, Northwest Missouri State University

(back row, left to right)

Jim Wilcox, Avila University

Brian Messer, University of Phoenix-Kansas City Campus

Jerry Weakley, Baker University

E. Bernard Franklin, MCC-Penn Valley Community College

Morteza Ardebili, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Kenneth Dean, University of Missouri-Columbia

Ronald Trewyn, Kansas State University

James Guikema, Kansas State University

Tom Bryant, Pittsburg State University

Joe Sweeney, Ingram's Magazine