Higher Education 2005

Higher Education Officials Tackle Tough Issues

Nearly 30 college presidents and other ranking university officials descended on Ingram’s offices August 17 for a highly engaging discussion of today’s most pressing academic issues.

This assembly was part of Ingram’s ongoing effort to highlight business and development issues in Kansas City’s greater metropolitan area, and a productive, and occasionally provocative, assembly this one was.

As an introductory question, the participants were asked to identify the number one concern on their respective campuses today, the one that keeps them awake in the middle of the night wondering, “How am I going to manage this one?”

Is there adequate funding?

The most pressing problem for Aaron Podolefsky is the budget difficulty in Missouri. By the way Podolefsky had just begun his tenure as President of Central Missouri State University after 15 years at the University of Northern Iowa. He added wryly, “The most pressing problem I left in Iowa was the budget difficulties in Iowa.”

Jim Matchefts, Assistant Commissioner and General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Higher Education, agreed. “State funding is obviously a big issue.” It is a concern on the Kansas side as well. Tom Bryant, President of Pittsburg State University, emphasized the inverse relationship of state funding to tuition. He noted, “As we try to maintain accessibility and affordability, our efforts really have to be increased in terms of private donations, private funds,” he said.

Stephen Lehmkuhle, Interim Chancellor for the University of Missouri-Kansas City, threw in another wrinkle. He noted that “scarce resources” make it that much harder to compete in a marketplace for faculty. “We’re having a very tough time retaining and attracting faculty to our institutions,” he lamented.

(front row, left to right)
Aaron Podolefsky, Central Missouri State University
Jackie Snyder, Metropolitan Community College
Stephen Minnis, Benedictine College
Bernard Franklin, Penn Valley Community College

Jim Billick, Ottawa University

(standing, left to right)
Paul Stephanchick, DeVry University
Jim Matchefts, Missouri Department of Higher Education
Tom Burke, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Jerry Baird, Johnson County Community College
Michael Middleton, University of Missouri-Columbia
Carolyn Cottrell, Webster University-Kansas City
Tom Bryant, Pittsburg State University
David Monical, Washburn University
Barbara Dixon, Truman State University
Caren Handleman, Park University
Marianne Inman, Central Methodist University
Kathy Marian, Friends University

Kay Schallenkamp, Emporia State University
Stephen Lehmkuhle, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Sandra Willsie, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Paul Carttar, University of Kansas

Fr. Edward Kinerk, Rockhurst University

Paige White-Illum, Avila University
Jerrad Tausz, University of Phoenix-Kansas City
Dan Lambert, Baker University
Sr. Diane Steele, University of St. Mary