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Anki as a memory tool

I had alot of trouble memorizing people’s names and faces as well as just a few details about them-such as whether they are married, have kids, or have a very strong interest in a particular university program. Your principal gifts officer should pre-alert you to events, and ideally even help you with such matters at an event, but there is no substitute for knowing something about a donor…especially for a chance meeting.

You undoubtedly have a donor database, and you may have other lists of people with whom you interact-faculty leaders, student leaders, board members, legislators. How can you transform that information, at least a small subset of it, to a useful memory tool?

The tool that my son used in medical school seems very powerful. I’ll admit that I played around with it and never committed to it-but I would have been wise to do so. That tool is Anki. Originally developed as “intelligent flashcards” for language learning ( I think in Korea), it is used widely for lots of purposes. It’s very inexpensive, and you could even have staff develop the Anki cards for you, with what they think you should know about people. Anki offers different kinds of flashcards, that can ask questions in different directions (a face-give the name. the name-their interest). And, Anki will remember what you got right or wrong, and help you drill. Give it a whirl!

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Chief of Staff

I was fortunate to have an excellent chief of staff, without whom I would have been a less-effective President. There are a few models for chief-of-staff positions, some considerations for how you wish to structure the position, and perhaps a few ways I think you can help your chief become more effective.

At smaller institutions, the chief of staff is often a very experienced executive assistant, while my sense is that at larger institutions one is likely to see a higher-level professional as well as at least one executive assistant in a president’s office. The University of Idaho is mid-size, and my model was the chief was a very experienced assistant who, herself, had assistance in the office. Her main job was to insure that I used my time effectively-that those who needed to see me were able to do so, that I was contacting people I needed to contact like the Board or donors, to help coordinate the work of Vice Presidents and others, and to manage staff in the office who took care of other details (such as specific scheduling, correspondence, events). At larger institutions, I think you would see greater participation in actual policy development, and perhaps representation of the president.

The direct office staff at Idaho, in addition to the chief, included a financial person (who served the office and some smaller offices, such as Diversity, that reported directly to the President), and a staff assistant (reception, phone, scheduling details, correspondence). Originally, the office also had an events coordinator, but during a budget cut, we distributed this role primarily to other offices, particularly Advancement and Marketing and Communication, though the President’s Office retained some of the less-formal and occasional events, like meetings with student organizations. I also had a Communications Director assigned primarily to me, as well as several Special Assistants-one for Legislative Relations and one for Special Projects/Principal Gifts.

In addition to the formal roles of the Chief of Staff in my office, my Chief also was a sounding board, and a source of information for me about the University as she had served there for many years and I was new to the institution. She was my eyes and ears at meetings-I know that I tend to talk too much, listen too little, and focus on one person at a time. She was very good at recapping for me what might be unexpressed, but important opinions. She also interacted informally with the VP’s, who felt that they could bring issues to her confidentially and assess whether or not they should be brought to me. I am not sure how she did it, but she maintained their confidence, yet also informed me of things I needed to know.

Chief is such an important, but personal, position that it’s hard to advise you on selection or how to work with your chief. I suspect you will develop a close professional relationship, if you choose well. One resource of which I was originally unaware, but feel is very helpful is NAPAHE, the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education. Encourage attendance, as well as use of their listserv and publications. The NAPAHE meetings usually precede the ACE meetings, and you can attend sessions with your Chief (and the Chief can stay after at ACE), which I think enhances the value of these meetings for both.

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Story telling

Though I love data, I’ve finally become convinced that most of us operate on a more emotional level, and the best communicators recognize this and they are great storytellers. I would encourage you to have specific stories at your fingertips, ready to trot out. These may change depending on the audience, the year, the challenges you face-I just encourage you to spend specific time and energy developing these stories.

What are some examples? Know the name of that great first generation student (and clear with her the use of it) the story of how she had not realized that college was within her reach, and that this young Hispanic woman from, say, Jerome Idaho is now becoming a doctor, and plans to serve her community. Sincere stories, moving stories. You will probably find yourself talking to boosters-be sure you know the name of a football player or a track athlete whose scholarship enabled them to come to school, to excel on the field and academically, and now those boosters have not changed just that student’s lives, but those the student will touch. A successful alumnus. A faculty member who changed the lives of a student or had an extraordinary research success. A startup industry from a university invention or entrepreneur.

You may have the advantages of being a natural storyteller, or having a great communications aide…but even if not, there is great advice about storytelling out there-from TED talks to YouTube videos. Some TED talk advice gems:

  1.       Immerse your audience in the story.
  2.       Tell a personal story.
  3.       Create suspense.
  4.       Bring characters to life.
  5.       Show. Don’t tell.
  6.       Build up to S.T.A.R. moment.
  7.       End with a positive takeaway.

Keep a lookout for great stories, keep a list, practice telling them. And, though you may get bored with the same story-it is surprising how much the same story can be used in different contexts.

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The president’s spouse

The role and expectations of a president’s spouse vary tremendously, depending on the university and the spouse, at least. My spouse, Mary Beth, had her own career (physician) and interests, but participated in many university events. She was unpaid, but her travel costs were generally paid if she had a role at an event (document that role for the IRS, or you may get a very unwelcome tax bill!) I hope some of our experience can inform or reassure you.

I think that the most important issue regarding the spouse is that all parties (president, spouse, board, staff) should be mindful of the role and expectations. A good article on this was published by a former president, Susan Pierce, in Inside HIgher Education. If you are a member of AGB, you can also access a good article by Karen Kaler. There are a couple of books on the topic, but neither my spouse nor I found them particularly useful.

Though I know that your experience will vary, my wife and I met each month with my chief of staff and the office scheduler to discuss events (university and personal) over the next several months; an office staff member kept an Outlook calendar for my spouse and she had a university email account. My wife was not very involved in event planning, such as menu selection, etc-this was done by university staff. She did give feedback on events to staff, and this was generally well-received. My wife developed positive relationships with many donors and their spouses, and enjoyed these interactions. My wife liked interacting with students; she would attend evening dessert receptions we would schedule to talk with residence hall students, Greek students, international students, and other student groups. She enjoyed tours with me (Micron-an Idaho industry, SpaceX-alumnus is chief engineer). Mary Beth attended football games (not her favorite). She attended many musical events (not my favorite-I went only occasionally). She was very active in the community, meeting the mayor, Chamber of Commerce director, etc.

Mary Beth enjoyed participating in the APLU spouse group. I know she would encourage participation in that group, but always wanted more substance and involvement. Her impression is that she was probably more involved than most of the other spouses BOTH in a career and in the university. And, probably much more open and informal-she was amazed that some were shocked she would go to the grocery store in her jeans!

Were there awkward moments? The first day we moved in, a “kindly” neighbor took a picture of our recycling and sent it anonymously to office staff to “help” us realize that our recycling had not been set out properly. Because Mary Beth wanted to practice in a large hospital, she got a position in Boise-300 miles from campus, and bought a small house here. We dealt with the persistent claim that we “lived” in Boise-even though she spent only about 12 days on average there per month, and of course it was important for the University that I travel to Boise frequently-it is the state capital, population center, home to the office of the state board of education, and home to critical industries and many alumni and donors…and we have a campus there! Having a home there made my visits very easy and saved the university thousands in hotel bills, yet was a constant source of disparagement.

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Stats at your fingertips

I may be TOO attracted to knowing stats-and I think that sometimes, using stats makes one appear cold-so be sure to at least complement stats with personal stories-anecdotes about students, faculty, alumni, community members that also illustrate the point. Nevertheless, I think that there are stats you should know-about your university, about your community (region or state), and about higher education. The list below is probably most relevant to public universities-please ignore those irrelevant to your mission.

Some university stats will depend on the mission and nature, but for almost all universities, I think you should have at your fingertips:
*Your retention and graduation rates (4 year, 6 year)
*Cost of attendance, in-state and out-of-state
*Enrollment (undergraduate and graduate), in-state and out of state
*Ethnic diversity of your students
*Research expenditures (if relevant)
*US News & World Reports or other relevant ranking
*Approximate revenue and expenses (tuition, state appropriation, research grants…personnel (typically 80% and all other)
*Endowment (if relevant)
Sure, it is great to know other items, like percentage Pell grants, change (improvement) in some stat over time, postgraduation employment data, ratings relative to peers. And there are likely to be some items specific to your institution (law school, med school…etc) as well as stats you need in a particular context, like salary benchmarks when talking to faculty and staff-but I think this list can get you started…whether you are a sitting president or an aspirant.

I think it is worth knowing some items about your state, as well.
*Per capita income of residents/primary industries in state
*Educational attainment and attainment goal
*Rate of college progression
*State population and ethnic diversity

With respect to higher education, you should know the general rates for the US of:
*4, 6-year graduations (35% and 58%, which includes people who transfer, not just one institutional rate)
*Educational attainment (~35% have bachelor’s or higher)
*Lifetime wage differential, high-school vs college (~$1M)

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Reading List

If you don’t have time to read…you don’t have time to lead.

Of course, as President…you don’t have alot of time. So, just a few suggestions of books that I have found, over the years, very informative or influential.

On the general business/management side, some obvious choices:
Bolman and Deal and reframing present several classics, but the shorter version focused on education is: Reframing Academic Leadership, Bolman and Gallos. There is a version of Good to Great that recognizes the differences between education and business: Good to Great and the Social Sectors, Collins. Not as popular, but influential to me is Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Pink. Short, and I think very applicable to academics in particular. More recent, and excellent, is Start with Why, Sinek. I know there are many other excellent choices…and I’d love to hear your recommendations.

On the higher ed side, I have some favorites:
Designing the New American University, Crow, Dabars is a vision that does not fit all universities, but I think is particularly appropriate to research universities and gives a great picture of the role of higher education and how we can meet our country’s needs.
The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out, Christensen, Eyering is a great comparison of Harvard and BYU-Idaho that will stimulate you to think about your mission rather than just trying to be Harvard.
Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Faculty Roles in the Governance of Higher Education: Bowen, Tobin provides a better understanding of faculty governance…but I wish that Faculty Senates would read it as I think they have abdicated, at many universities their important and appropriate roles of overseeing the curriculum and establishing professional expectations of faculty to wanting to run the mundane details for which we hire folks like our VP Finance.

Don’t forget to do your recreational reading…be sure to read the university’s Common Read, for example as well as some impactful or best sellers…your public and donors expect you to be well-read and well-spoken!

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Personal fitness

I admit; I did a very poor job of keeping fit while serving as President.  I too easily let myself eat that cookie at the reception, work late on email, and skip the gym.  I don’t think that there is one magic way to ensure fitness…but I know that if I have the opportunity to serve again as President that I will make time for fitness, at least multiple days per week and be more disciplined about my diet. 

Schedule activities-even if it is just riding the exercise bicycle 4 times per week.  My assistant even offered to do this, and I foolishly felt I needed to simply keep a more flexible schedule.  If you do that, be sure to get your favorite exercise machine at home and USE IT!

And, be sure to push away from that donor meal, leaving half the entrée at every dinner.  The cookies at the reception generally are not worth the calories.  The wine at the reception is not worth it, and will just impair your judgement…and may lead to even more difficulties.

I admit, all of this is gratuitous advice from a reformed “sinner”.  Try your best, you will feel better!

PS-I have lost almost 30 pounds since stepping down, and feel fitter and healthier…but I would still love to serve as President.

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A VERY brief history of higher education

I have found it useful to put some aspects of higher education into historical perspective; perhaps this very brief history will stimulate your thoughts, as well.  Of course, I have omitted some landmarks and skewed this history to items central to dialogs I have had as a president…love to hear some of your thoughts!

  • 859:  Oldest university, still operating, is the University of Karueein (Fez, Morocco)
    • 1088:  University of Bologna is the oldest in Europe.  Libraries are acentral resource bringing scholars and students together.
  • 1636:  Harvard founded in US (private education)
  • 1798: University of North Carolina (public higher education)
    • U. Virginia a latecomer in 1819
  • 1862: Morrill Act establishes land grants.  The act had been proposed before the Civil War, but Southern States opposed it.  The act passed post-secession.  I applaud the vision of our Congress and President, many of whom had no college education yet saw that education “for the sons of toil” in the “practical and liberal arts” would help restore the country economically and socially.  Note that two other extraordinary acts were also passed in 1862:  Railroad Act and Homestead Act.  Though both also had negative impacts, especially on Native Americans…imagine investing the equivalent of a trillion dollars in unproven infrastructure and envisioning settlement of a largely unknown West while fighting a divisive, expensive, bloody war literally in one’s backyard!
    • Note that Engineering education was almost entirely at West Point prior to 1862…and that Land Grant universities would produce hundreds of thousands of engineers to assist the US industrial revolution.
  • 1890: Second Morrill Act establishes many Historically Black Colleges and Universities to provide education to the children of former slaves.
  • 1890’s: Americanized the “German Model” of graduate education, establishing PhD programs at universities like Johns Hopkins that resemble those operating today.
  • 1906: NCAA founded as a response to horrific injuries in football-regulate or abolish the sport.  Today, the NCAA oversees 480,000 student athletes and over $1 billion in revenue.  College athletics is primarily a US phenomenon!
  • 1919: Establishment of ACE (American Council on Education) to provide credit for prior learning to the flood of returning World War I veterans, probably the greatest mobilization and “upskilling” in the US to that point.
  • 1944:  GI Bill provides many financial benefits to returning servicemen, about 2,2 million of whom eventually attend college.  One of the greatest
  • 1945: The Atom Bomb serves as an example of American universities and intellectuals serving as the Arsenal of Democracy.  A role they would continue through the Cold War
  • 1950:  National Science Foundation funded, 5 years after “Science: The Endless Frontier” is published by Vannevar Bush.  Though the NIH was funded in the 1870’s, strong, organized support of research by the Federal Government is usually dated to founding of the NSF.
  • 1960: California Master Plan for Higher Education developed creates a differentiated system of universities, state colleges, and community colleges
  • 1960s: Great American research universities rise-Stanford, Harvard, Michigan, Illinois, Berkeley….
  • 21st century: The United States and the world look to universities for workforce development and innovation.  Unfortunately, the US falls behind several countries in educational attainment, with South Korea and Canada currently leading the pack.  China invests heavily in both education and research, moving very rapidly from a nadir under Mao’s People’s Revolution.
    • We see a rise in distance education, with almost 30% of students taking at least one course online during their degree programs
    • Rise of mega-universities, from the Open University in the United Kingdom to Arizona State University to the University of Phoenix
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Indemnification and risk in research contracts

Early in my presidency, we found ourselves unable to contract with a major regional industry because they would not accept indemnification of all risks.  Now, in many ways, that was far too conservative on their part, but also too demanding on our part. 

The research we were considering was basic research on semiconductor chip design.  I asked that General Counsel develop the worst possible risk scenario they could imagine.  The scenario was that a method we developed might be used, in part, to make a chip for a critical application like a self-driving car.  If such a chip failed, resulting in a traffic death, the claimant might argue that we were responsible for the failure.  I found this possibility so remote as to be laughable…I frankly was more worried that the company would never use our technology and seek help elsewhere!

Now, my attitude would be very different if were developing the formulation for an infant vitamin to be immediately put into a major market.  My point is that universities must, at times (if allowed by Boards and state laws) accept some risk.  And, while remaining careful about the nature of those risks…a president can use discretion and judgement and should do so to establish and sustain research relationships.