Q In being the 14th president of Sam Houston State University, what skill set from your previous work
experience do you think you will draw from the most?
A It takes some time to learn how to be a president. In these uncertain times, new presidents will have
a steep learning curve. I’ll bring six years of presidential experience—six months of which was navigating
through an international pandemic—to my role at Sam Houston State University. That includes working
on academic initiatives, budgets, student life, enrollment, fundraising, athletics, facilities planning
and construction, marketing and more. While every university is different, the role presidents of public
institutions play is similar at most institutions. My academic discipline and professional experience is
in mass communication, and I expect to draw on my communication experience to help share the Sam
Houston State University story to internal and external audiences.
Q You’re coming to Sam Houston State from Austin Peay where you served as president for six years,
so leading a university during a pandemic is not new to you. What do you hope to bring this fall to over
20,000 students and faculty trying to manage during this pandemic at SHSU?
A We know a lot more about the virus than we did six months ago, and we’re learning more every
day. My hope is to be able to accurately and adequately convey the most credible, scientific information
available to our students, faculty, and staff, and to let them know that we’ll operate in ways that allow
students to have a quality educational experience in an environment where all can be safe as possible.
We will be vigilant about requiring face coverings and physical distancing, but also diligent about creating
opportunities for meaningful engagement.
Q How do you think the educational experience will be most different in the 2020-21 school year? Are
students at a disadvantage learning online?
A The plan is for some interactions to be in person, following established safety protocols, and others
to leverage appropriate technology to make sure effective instruction and learning can occur. Some
courses will take a hybrid approach. Professors have been using different teaching methods for years,
and they’re well-equipped to design courses in all formats that help students meet their learning objectives.
Some students prefer to take conventional in-person courses, and some professors prefer to teach
conventional courses. Some prefer online. I’ve taught both and am convinced both can be highly effective.
It’s important to note that a robust online course designed to be online from the outset will result
in a better student experience than one that had to be converted to online on the fly. Universities across
the country were taken by surprise in March, but I don’t believe that will happen again. We learned that
we have to prepare courses to be delivered in a variety of formats at any given time.
Q Outside of issues with the pandemic, what are some of your top priorities for your first year?
A Sam Houston State University is an institution with remarkable assets. I will spend time this first
year getting to know the talented people who make the University the special place it is; looking for areas
of opportunities; assisting with the integration of the new College of Osteopathic Medicine into the
broader University; and meeting with alumni, East Texas business and industry leaders, public officials,
and other stakeholders who will be valuable thought partners going forward.
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