Presidents debate challenges to higher education

It is a challenging time to be a college president.

There is increased competition in higher education for students, faculty, research funding and philanthropic support. Issues on affordability and student debt. Intense debates on what it means to create and sustain an inclusive campus environment.

Four UB alumni who serve as college and university presidents discussed these challenges, as well as others, as part of the second UB Volunteer Leadership Summit, which took place May 5-6 in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

The University Presidents Plenary Session featured Scott Dalrymple, PhD ’97, MBA ’91, MA ’89, president of Columbia College; Murray State University President Robert O. Davies, PhD ’05; Virginia “Ginny” Horvath, BA ’78, president of the Fredonia State College; and Keith Taylor, PhD ’96, MS ’90, BS ’86, president of Gannon University.

The session was moderated by Lawrence J. Zielinski, acting executive director of UB’s Office of Alumni Engagement.

Discussing issues that are presented by affordability, Davies spoke to the challenges presented by reduced public funding, which he said also significantly affects accessibility: “There are information barriers, particularly for less affluent families, that can reduce access to higher education.

“To surmount these barriers,” he said, “we need to engage students much earlier — by the fourth or fifth grades, with the goal of enabling them to see themselves in higher education and create a level of confidence that they can succeed. Success begins at an early age.”

Davies said critical thinking is another important component of teaching students how to make the right decisions.

Taylor agreed affordability is a real issue. “We in higher education have an obligation to be dedicated to serving our community. Increased costs may have caused the public to hit a plateau of affordability; therefore, delivering value is paramount — offering a high-quality education efficiently and at a low cost.”

Addressing a question about promoting equality of races and respect on a university campus, Horvath said students need models for thoughtful conversations.

“We need to teach thoughtful inquiry — how to have a discussion on these types of issues without shutting down someone else’s point of view. You can insult very quickly in a few words very easily on social media,” she said.

“Race, class and gender remain in the areas where we will all manage increasing conflicts. We need to teach students the importance of building relationships and then using those relationships to build trust.”   

Dalrymple noted that with national headlines raising awareness of issues of race, class and gender, starting and continuing thoughtful conversations should be a priority for universities across the country.

Asked about how technology is changing higher education, Dalrymple said technology is changing the way teaching is done.

“In 2000, Columbia College launched its Online Campus, so technology has been an increasingly important part of how we offer our courses and degrees for a while now,” he said. “A significant number of our students are in the military and online classes fit into their lives very well, offering military service members — and working adults — the opportunity to pursue a quality education without the limitations of proximity to college campus.

“But I think most colleges will agree that online learning is so much more than convenience. Used correctly, technology can make all of us better teachers.”

UB’s second Volunteer Leadership Summit offered learning, teaching and listening opportunities to UB volunteer leaders from around the country. The summit honored several alumni volunteers, while also providing a forum for volunteers to network across UB, celebrate and inspire a continued spirit of volunteerism for the benefit of UB students.