"I get really tired of people whipping the American education system. It is incredibly flexible. If you dropped out of high school or weren't able to attend (college) for any number of reasons, when you want to re-enter, there are a variety of ways to get back into post-secondary education," Lopos says.

He ought to know. Lopos is the new dean of Millard Fillmore College, UB's evening division dedicated to providing educational opportunities for adults and non-traditional students.

"Continuing education offers people hope-of bettering themselves financially, educationally and spiritually," said Lopos, who became dean July 1. He previously was associate dean of the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Iowa.

Continuing education, he said, is a complex blend of evening classes, off-campus classes and distance learning, designed "to make university resources accessible to the community." Lopos said, "As a public institution, we have an obligation to the taxpayers of the state. My responsibility is to make that connection."

It's not always an easy connection to make. "There are people who are urban and have their needs. There are people who are suburban and have their needs. And there are people who are regional and have their needs. You're like a yenta-you're a matchmaker," Lopos said.

In this case, the "couple" to be brought together is UB and the Western New York community. Accessibility is the key to the pairing, but that's not just a geographical concept, he emphasized.

"When we talk about access, there's a corollary-what's keeping them from getting to us?" Lopos said. Time, money and distance play key roles.

"There's a lot more drop-in, drop out now. We're finding fewer people who can commit themselves even in a non-traditional setting. And it's getting harder and harder for students to meet college expenses. Financial aid for non-traditional students is hard to get. It's been cut left and right....This is like taking things away from people who don't have much to begin with. But these are hard decisions, and I respect that."

Most non-traditional students also work full time, and "as the employment situation becomes more volatile, these people are forced to move and their education suffers," he said.

Globally, the face of post-secondary education is changing, and universities are seeing an increase in the number of non-traditional students. More and more people don't have the luxury of progressing directly from high school to college, but choose to attend at a later stage in their lives, Lopos said.

It is precisely these conditions that make the administration of higher education so interesting. "It's always changing. It's not stagnant, it's not static. It's dynamic. In continuing education you have to be an opportunist in the best sense of the word," Lopos said.

So as he integrates into the university community, Lopos said, his first priority is to become acquainted with UB's evening division and how it fits into the university as a whole.

"I've got to get to understand MFC and its history. I'd like to get together with other college and administrative departments to make MFC more comprehensive in its offerings to publics," he said.

"We're going to review everything. I hope we're going to look at things differently and try to be responsible in what we do."

This is not to imply a "clean sweep" approach to his new job, Lopos said. "New brooms are scratchy and stiff. I don't want to have a scratchy break-in period."

What he does want is a break-in period of open communication. "I don't want to be a dean who works behind a desk. I look forward to working with other academic units on campus and in the community."

And Lopos knows that, at times, getting to know the university and Buffalo communities will be bumpy.

"There definitely will be challenges to carry out the mission of continuing education at the university at a time when money is tight and morale among some people is low," he said.

"I'm going to do a lot of listening this year," although due to UB's budgetary constraints, "I can't make any promises other than good will."