Bethany Trivia

How many PAC soccer championships has the women's soccer team won?

Click here to see the answer and other Bethany Trivia questions

Annie and I had an enjoyable evening visiting with Philadelphia/Delaware area alumni and friends at the Wilmington home of Pat ('80) and Kathleen Hosey on Thursday. Pat is an active member of the Bethany national Alumni Council.

The College President as Social Advocate

(The Huffington Post, September 19, 2012)

I’m frequently asked about my involvement on a variety of boards and columns op/eds in differing publications such as College Planning and Management, The State Journal, The Huffington Post and my own widely distributed President’s Letter and President’s Blog.  I am also active on Twitter and LinkedIn and host a public-figure page on Facebook.  In addition, I do monthly webcasts via our Bethany Broadcasting Network. I also jointly edit Presidential Perspectives, a thought series for college and university presidents (now in its 7th year). 

Utilizing these venues, I’ve voiced an opinion on a variety of topics, from the value of residential liberal arts colleges, to cost containment in higher education, to campus safety, college sports, church relations, town/gown relations, the national drinking age, and a plethora of other issues as they impact higher education.  My two most recent opinion pieces have inspired very active discussions nationwide about developments at the University of Virginia and Penn State. 

The great presidents of my early years as an administrator used what is called “the bully pulpit” to inspire discussion and inspire change.  These presidents included Theodore Hesburgh (Notre Dame), John Silber (Boston University), Clark Kerr (California), Jim Fisher (Towson), and Bart Giamatti (Yale).  More recently, Stephen Trachtenburg (George Washington), Steve Sample (Southern California), Freeman Hrabowski (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Buzz Shaw (Syracuse), and Gordon Gee (Ohio State) are some of the higher education CEOs with an activist agenda.  They were often described as change agents, transformational leaders, who effectively utilized the “platform” afforded presidents to advocate for issues that would positively move their institutions forward.

All you have to do is look at a typical advertisement for a vacancy in a higher education journal to know that today’s college president is expected to be a multi-tasking fund-raiser, media specialist/spokesperson, effective lobbyist, synergistic community partner, student and environmental advocate, visionary leader, strategic planner, town-gown specialist, budgetary wizard, social media expert…all at the same time!  While current-day presidents typically have a limited number of opportunities to formally address internal constituencies (usually three or four times a year), they also are provided a unique platform to speak out on diverse topics. Savvy boards encourage their presidents to write and speak on issues that will influence their respective constituencies.  The governing boards during all three of my presidencies have encouraged my activist agenda. 

As a college president of nearly 22 years, I’ve lived through an era of radical growth and transformation—many changes have been good, some bad—that impact higher education throughout the world.  These include the emergence of community colleges in the 1960s, multi-campus state systems across the country in the 1960s and 1970s,  proprietary education, private institutions reaching out to growing adult populations, and most recently, online education.  The best stories of vibrant growth have occurred at institutions headed by strong, outspoken, transformational leaders. 

Business leaders want to hear from presidents; political leaders recognize the influential role of presidents.  Students are more demanding of access to their presidents than was the case in my days behind a desk, and alumni and faculty also expect the president to be front and center and highly visible as the foremost advocate of their institutions.  I spend much of my summers traveling to meet with alumni, friends, current and prospective donors around the nation.  I always speak to the value of the residential liberal arts education, because this is the most important agenda item.  It is imperative that I speak to the quality of the well-rounded, educated person benefiting from a liberal arts background, including the advantages of living and learning 24-7 in a residential campus environment.  Time and again, I remind our key constituencies, especially families, employers, admissions-referral and funding sources, that outcomes of primarily residential liberal arts colleges around the country reinforce the value of the leadership skills, close personal relationships with faculty and other students, sense of community and the need to “give back,” all of which constitute a very solid return on investment.

Through the years, I’ve played an activist role in incorporating the town around my college (Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee), addressed community re-development in an economically depressed, crime-infested community adjacent to another school I served as president (Wesley College in Dover, Delaware), and economic development and the gas industry in my third institution (Bethany College of West Virginia).  My involvement on the College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is another prime example of another important activist role, that of an environmental advocate.  I was one of the earliest presidents to sign on with ACUPCC when I was at Wesley College, and then did the same at Bethany College when I accepted its presidency. Serving on the governing body of ACUPCC gives me an opportunity to influence institutional stewardship of our environment nationwide and to advocate for ways in which our member campus communities can foster “green” policies in their own spheres of influence.

In recent years, fewer presidents have taken advantage of the “bully pulpit,”  primarily because the Internet and 24-hour news cycle have caused every word spoken to be scrutinized almost immediately and subject to be taken out of context. Because we tend to make the mistake of feeling that we must respond immediately to negative feedback, this tendency does not lend itself to thoughtful analysis or creative solutions, but rather, creates a reactive mindset.  Most presidents have therefore moved toward a form of political correctness, speaking in prescribed sound bites which do not address in-depth the complex issues impacting their institutions and presidencies.  It’s often easier and safer just to stay silent than to risk alienating key constituencies—especially public and private funding sources.

I firmly believe, however, that presidents need once again to seize the opportunities for transformational leadership on issues vital to our campuses, our students, and our nation that are afforded them.  Although leveraging the “bully pulpit” may carry more risk than it did in the past, today’s media also afford us an unparalleled opportunity to reach new audiences and to shape policy, nationally and even internationally.

Remembering that silence is often perceived as acceptance of the status quo, let us continue to speak out fervently and forcefully, as our executive roles suggest we should.

#          #          #

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College.  Now in his 22^nd year as a college president, he has written more than one hundred articles and written or edited nine books.  He is Chair of the Board of Directors of Academic Search, Inc.

Just came from a well attended investiture ceremony in the Academic Parlour of Old Main recognizing Brooke L. Deal (Thomas W. Phillips Chair in Religous Studies) and Kenneth L. Morgan (Jennie Steindorf Renner Chair of Fine Arts). Congratulations to our distinguished colleagues!

Bethany College

Who is Morlan Hall named after?

Click here to see the answer and other Bethany Trivia questions

The College President as Social Advocate

(The Huffington Post, September 17, 2012) 

 

I'm frequently asked about my involvement on a variety of boards and columns op/eds in differing publications such as College Planning and Management, The State Journal, The Huffington Post and my own widely distributed President's Letter and President's Blog. I am also active on Twitter and LinkedIn and host a public-figure page on Facebook. In addition, I do monthly webcasts via our Bethany Broadcasting Network. I also jointly edit Presidential Perspectives, a thought series for college and university presidents (now in its 7th year).

 

Utilizing these venues, I've voiced an opinion on a variety of topics, from the value of residential liberal arts colleges, to cost containment in higher education, to campus safety, college sports, church relations, town/gown relations, the national drinking age, and a plethora of other issues as they impact higher education. My two most recent opinion pieces have inspired very active discussions nationwide about developments at the University of Virginia and Penn State.

 

The great presidents of my early years as an administrator used what is called "the bully pulpit" to inspire discussion and inspire change. These presidents included Theodore Hesburgh (Notre Dame), John Silber (Boston University), Clark Kerr (California), Jim Fisher (Towson), and Bart Giamatti (Yale). More recently, Stephen Trachtenburg (George Washington), Steve Sample (Southern California), Freeman Hrabowski (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Buzz Shaw (Syracuse), and Gordon Gee (Ohio State) are some of the higher education CEOs with an activist agenda. They were often described as change agents, transformational leaders, who effectively utilized the "platform" afforded presidents to advocate for issues that would positively move their institutions forward.

 

All you have to do is look at a typical advertisement for a vacancy in a higher education journal to know that today's college president is expected to be a multi-tasking fund-raiser, media specialist/spokesperson, effective lobbyist, synergistic community partner, student and environmental advocate, visionary leader, strategic planner, town-gown specialist, budgetary wizard, social media expert... all at the same time! While current-day presidents typically have a limited number of opportunities to formally address internal constituencies (usually three or four times a year), they also are provided a unique platform to speak out on diverse topics. Savvy boards encourage their presidents to write and speak on issues that will influence their respective constituencies. The governing boards during all three of my presidencies have encouraged my activist agenda.

 

As a college president of nearly 22 years, I've lived through an era of radical growth and transformation -- many changes have been good, some bad -- that impact higher education throughout the world. These include the emergence of community colleges in the 1960s, multi-campus state systems across the country in the 1960s and 1970s, proprietary education, private institutions reaching out to growing adult populations, and most recently, online education. The best stories of vibrant growth have occurred at institutions headed by strong, outspoken, transformational leaders.

 

Business leaders want to hear from presidents; political leaders recognize the influential role of presidents. Students are more demanding of access to their presidents than was the case in my days behind a desk, and alumni and faculty also expect the president to be front and center and highly visible as the foremost advocate of their institutions. I spend much of my summers traveling to meet with alumni, friends, current and prospective donors around the nation. I always speak to the value of the residential liberal arts education, because this is the most important agenda item. It is imperative that I speak to the quality of the well-rounded, educated person benefiting from a liberal arts background, including the advantages of living and learning 24-7 in a residential campus environment. Time and again, I remind our key constituencies, especially families, employers, admissions-referral and funding sources, that outcomes of primarily residential liberal arts colleges around the country reinforce the value of the leadership skills, close personal relationships with faculty and other students, sense of community and the need to "give back," all of which constitute a very solid return on investment.

 

Through the years, I've played an activist role in incorporating the town around my college (Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee), addressed community re-development in an economically depressed, crime-infested community adjacent to another school I served as president (Wesley College in Dover, Delaware), and economic development and the gas industry in my third institution (Bethany College of West Virginia). My involvement on the College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is another prime example of another important activist role, that of an environmental advocate. I was one of the earliest presidents to sign on with ACUPCC when I was at Wesley College, and then did the same at Bethany College when I accepted its presidency. Serving on the governing body of ACUPCC gives me an opportunity to influence institutional stewardship of our environment nationwide and to advocate for ways in which our member campus communities can foster "green" policies in their own spheres of influence.

 

In recent years, fewer presidents have taken advantage of the "bully pulpit," primarily because the Internet and 24-hour news cycle have caused every word spoken to be scrutinized almost immediately and subject to be taken out of context. Because we tend to make the mistake of feeling that we must respond immediately to negative feedback, this tendency does not lend itself to thoughtful analysis or creative solutions, but rather, creates a reactive mindset. Most presidents have therefore moved toward a form of political correctness, speaking in prescribed sound bites which do not address in-depth the complex issues impacting their institutions and presidencies. It's often easier and safer just to stay silent than to risk alienating key constituencies -- especially public and private funding sources.

 

I firmly believe, however, that presidents need once again to seize the opportunities for transformational leadership on issues vital to our campuses, our students, and our nation that are afforded them. Although leveraging the "bully pulpit" may carry more risk than it did in the past, today's media also afford us an unparalleled opportunity to reach new audiences and to shape policy, nationally and even internationally.

 

Remembering that silence is often perceived as acceptance of the status quo, let us continue to speak out fervently and forcefully, as our executive roles suggest we should.

 

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College. Now in his 22nd year as a college president, he has written more than one hundred articles and written or edited nine books. He is Chair of the Board of Directors of Academic Search, Inc.

 

Bethany College alumni, parents and friends were hosted to an extravagent pre-game tailgate party at Gallery Flux across from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA. The event was hosted by Hugh Joyce (president of James River Heating and Air Conditioning). Hugh is pictured inside Gallery Flux with Sadie Hettler ('57).

A wonderful turnout of Bethany College alumni and friends Friday night at The Speakeasy Bar located in the Hippodrome Theater in Richmond, VA. The event was sponsored by Hugh Joyce (next to me), son of the late Bethany legend Hugh "Tiger" Joyce (president of James River Heating and Air Conditioning). We are joined for the picture by members of Hugh's family.

Fall Convocation 2012

Dr. Dan Martich (‘81) , second from left, vice president and chief medical information officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, was the Fall Convocation speaker today in a packed Commencement Hall.  He is pictured during the Convocation receiving a Doctor of Science, honorus causa, from the College.  He is joined in the picture by Dr. Darin Fields, left, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Lisa Reilly, right, Chair of the Department of Physical Science and Mathematics, and me.  

Enjoyable gathering of Bethany College alumni and friends at the home of loyal alums Jeffry and Lynne Lapin (both Class of '75)

Bethany Trivia

What was the name of Alexander Campbell's tenth daughter?

Click here to see the answer and other Bethany Trivia questions

First Year Kalon Dinner

Enjoyable dinner at Christman Manor tonight as we hosted freshmen Kalon Scholars. Dr. Darin Fields (Vice President for Academic Affairs), Kathy Shelek-Furbee (Chair and Professor of Social Work; Advisor to Kalon), Annie and I hosted: Amanda Weber, Anthony Thompson, Catherine Breault, Dakota Maravelis, Julia Mouch, Tess Parry, Matthew Sipos, Sarah Smith and Anne Taylor.

Renner Art Gallery Faculty Exhibition: "THEN & NOW"

The Renner Art Gallery has opened this academic year with a special faculty exhibition by Professors Aaron Anslow '06 and Kenn Morgan '71 entitled "THEN & NOW."  The show features both old and new work in a variety of 2D and 3D mediums. Kenn's oldest piece on display is a drawing of an owl which he completed in 1971 and Aaron has three ceramic pieces that he created during his days as a student, along with a number of new pieces from 2012.  There are also three collaborative pieces recently completed by this new team of Visual Art professors.  "THEN & NOW" will be on display until September 16 and a reception for the artists cosponsored with the Social Work Department will take place on Friday, September 14 from 4 o'clock until 6 o'clock p.m. Everyone is invited to attend!

Bethany Launches the 173rd Academic Year

 (The President's Letter, September 2012)

As summer draws to a close, it is exhilarating to watch a talented new class arriving with their families and settling in for what promises to be a stimulating, eventful academic year—the 173rd for historic Bethany College.   

Bethany’s athletic teams, who have already been on campus since mid-August, are off to a fresh and exciting new start, and we look forward to building on the momentum created last year by our scholar-athletes. Greek advisors met for an off-campus planning session to formulate plans to enhance and grow this important aspect of college life in 2012-13. And Bethany faculty attended workshops and briefings as they prepared to convene classes on August 27. Seven  talented faculty members have joined the Bethany family, adding to our already impressive ranks. As their credentials, publications and leadership demonstrate, this next generation of Bethany scholars will continue to enrich our outstanding academic reputation. 

Students are abuzz with news of rewarding summer opportunities, including travel, work, internships or some combination of all three.   A dozen Communications and Media Arts majors built valuable skills through internship experience in print, social media, radio, television and public relations with such employers as the Washington Wild Things ball club, Washington, Pa.; Vox Mobile; WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh; ABC-7, Washington, D.C.; Booz, Allen and Hamilton, McLean, Va.;  the Bechtel Corporation, Frederick, Md.; and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania, among others. Meanwhile, 33 students enrolled in Bethany’s first online summer session in partnership with the Online Consortium of Independent Colleges and Universities (OCICU).  The College’s memberships in consortia and partnerships such as this greatly expand learning opportunities for our students. 

I have to add that a highlight of the summer for us Major League Baseball fans in the Pittsburgh region has been the resurgence of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise—a team that has waited many years for a winning season and is now a contender for the playoffs. With strong connections to Bethany College and the Ohio Valley region, the Nutting family of Wheeling assumed controlling ownership of the Pirates six years ago, and began rebuilding the team’s winning tradition. The Nutting family has been supportive of the College for many generations; Ogden and Bob Nutting currently serve on our Board of Trustees.

The Nutting family is honored throughout the Bethany campus. A plaque in the foyer of the Communications and Media Arts wing of Bethany House commemorates the early involvement of H.C. Ogden, founder of Ogden Newspapers and a former Board member of Bethany. The Nutting Gymnasium in Hummel Field House is the main venue for three intercollegiate teams. A commemorative plaque in The Ogden Dining Hall in Benedum Commons honors the generations of service from the Ogden/Nutting family to our remarkable college. 

This summer, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Sven de Jong and I logged many miles around the country meeting with alumni and friends coast to coast. We’re appreciative of our loyal sponsors for these events at a variety of venues. We gain inspiration with each visit as we hear heartfelt stories of the instrumental and enduring role Bethany, especially its faculty, has played in the lives of our graduates. 

It’s alumni  like Ken Bado (San Francisco),  Rick Clancy (San Diego), John Mullen and Bill Newton (Nashville), Greg and Ellen Jordan (Pittsburgh), Bruce Brothis (Aurora, Colorado), Rick Zarnoch, Bill and Valerie Knapp (Columbus) and a non-alumnus but new Trustee, Asa Johnson (New York City), who have built the College’s enduring legacy. Other alumni and friends-sponsored events are being held in the coming weeks in Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Philadelphia and Boston. A new tradition is “Thirsty Thursday” gatherings for young alumni in the Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., areas. 

To all who have helped to promote Bethany and forge ever-closer ties, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

Alumni often ask, “How can I help?” Let me offer some ways:

• Become active in the Class Agent program.
• Develop regional alumni groups, sponsoring gatherings for clusters of alumni to meet around the country.
• Serve as enthusiastic ambassadors for Bethany.
• Promote Homecoming and Alumni Weekend with your fellow alumni.
• Encourage alumni to stay in touch via e-communication.
• Recommend top prospective students to us.
• Make one or more annual gifts to The Bethany Fund.
• Visit the Erickson Alumni Center.
• Sponsor a lecture series/panel discussion that could be incorporated into Alumni Weekend and open to both alumni and current students.
• Bring a prospective student for a campus visit or to a College event. 

In my 2012 State-of-the-College Address live on the Bethany Broadcasting Network, I outlined our recent successes and renewed opportunities as A Small College of National Distinction. If you missed the address, you can find it archived on our website, www.bethanywv.edu.

Annie and I extend our warmest wishes to everyone for the new academic year. I hope you will visit the College during Homecoming, October 5 and 6, 2012; Alumni Weekend, May 3-5, 2013, or whenever your schedule permits. We look forward to welcoming you back to campus.

Presidential Perspectives

(This month's issue of Presidential Perspectives, a presidential thought series, published by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell with support of Aramark Higher Education). 

This month's chapter is titled "Against the Windmills: The Commoditization of Higher Education." 

http://www.presidentialperspectives.org/current_chapter.asp 

Bethany Trivia

In what year did the Tower become an online publication?

Click here to see the answer and other Bethany Trivia questions

The Global Leader: Preparing Students to be Tomorrow's Global Citizens

(College Planning and Management, August 2012 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Exceptional leaders are able to find the best in themselves and, in turn, inspire, engage, and mobilize others, even in the most demanding circumstances.  The current global financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn have ratcheted up the pressure on leaders already grappling with a world in transformation, says Dominic Barton, managing editor of the McKinsey Quarterly.

"Everyone needs to get into the same kayak in the same whitewater rapids that truly are the global economy," emphasizes Senior Consultant Richard Skinner of Harris IIC Partners, Washington, D.C.

As our campuses increasingly compete for students with universities worldwide, globalization can provide a competitive advantage.  This means educating students who think globally; are prepared to thrive in volatile, pluralistic culture; and who understand the trends driving international change.

In a major research effort, McKinsey has identified five global forces that are rewriting the list of business opportunities and challenges.  They include the rise of emerging markets as centers of consumerism and innovation, the imperative to improve developed-market productivity, ever-expanding global networks, the tension between rapidly rising resource consumption and sustainability, and the increasingly larger role of government as a business regulator and partner.

In 1994, we founded the InterAmerican Consortium composed of six U.S. Colleges and 11 international institutions as a means of globalizing American higher education and meeting the requirements of international trends.  This concept goes well beyond the typical semester of study-abroad year to place preparedness of U.S. students on a level plane with their international contemporaries.

We suggest:

• Initiating globalization across the curriculum. Many institutions have formed campus-wide task forces with representation from a broad range of academic disciplines to foster global awareness and cultural sensitivity.  Such interdisciplinary integration can extend beyond business, language, and social sciences courses into disciplines such as the humanities, the physical sciences, and nursing, creating a truly campus-wide focus.  In addition, we recommend appointing a faculty position focusing on global initiatives to provide further impetus.
• Engaging faculty and staff. Creating and extending articulation agreements with domestic and international colleges and universities, as we have done through the consortium, can constitute a helpful first step in moving students and other members of the college community beyond their initial comfort zones.  Faculty and staff exchanges among institutions as a way of fostering global awareness and education also represent an attractive recruiting vehicle, and a means of bringing faculty on board with the entire concept of globalizing American education.
• Creating global awareness through opportunities other than study abroad. International and travel aboard may not be feasible for all students, including nontraditional learners balancing employment with family responsibilities.  Establishing articulation agreements with domestic colleges and universities and service-learning opportunities in other parts of the U.S., however, can broaden students’ intercultural awareness.
• Taking incremental steps. Even small first steps, such as monthly brown-bag lunches on hot topics relating to global awareness, can extend involvement and growth to students and faculty who haven’t previously participated in international initiatives.  As a former colleague noted, “Rather than making just one big splash, we’ve been instrumental – along with others – in helping change the climate on campus.”

Today’s students are as likely to come from Singapore as from San Diego, and our alumni as likely to work in Mumbai as in Minneapolis.  It behooves us, therefore, to prepare students to be tomorrow’s global citizens.

#          #          #

Dr. Scott D. Miller is president of the College and M.M. Cochran professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in this third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for 22 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and a partner in Hyatt-Fennell an executive search firm. 

They have collaborated on eight books, including “President to President:  Views on Technology in Higher Education” (2010) and “Presidential Perspectives: Economics Prosperity in the Next Decade” (2011.)  Both serve as consultants to college presidents and boards.  

Enjoyable dinner at Christman Manor tonight in honor of our guests from Germany. Following dinner, Ben Arikian (catering manager at Christman Manor) and chef Bo Bryan surprised Sven de Jong, BC Vice President for Advancement, in honor of his 39th (yes, really 39) today. You'll remember that Sven led a dinner-time sing for Ben's birthday about a week ago.

Visit from the Rector of Heidelberg University of Education

Dr. Anneliese Wellensiek, Rector of Heidelberg University of Education, is visiting Bethany College to discuss additional collaboration on a variety of programs. Bethany and HUE have been formal exchange partners since 1990. Pictured with Dr. Wellensiek and me are Dr. Darin Fields, Bethany Vice President for Academic Affairs, left, and Dr. Harald Menz, BC Professor of World Languages and Director of International Studies. Today, Dr. Wellenseik will tour the campus, lead sessions with Bethany College students and faculty, and be our guest for dinner at Christman Manor.