2nd chancellor candidate visits LSUE

Louisiana State University Eunice chancellor candidate Kimberly Russell talked about branding the campus, reaching out to the community and industries and communicating with groups on campus during her faculty forum on Tuesday.
“I was intrigued at the opportunity at LSU Eunice,” Russell said. “You have a wonderful brand here at LSU Eunice. You are turning out a quality product. There is an opportunity here to expand and move forward. I know about the budget and shortfalls, but there is an opportunity to grow enrollment and offerings.”
“I think the region is unique and historical, and LSU Eunice has a great reputation.”
Russell is vice president for Advancement and External Affairs at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, and she has 20 years of higher education experience. She previously served as the director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at LeTourneau University. She earned a doctor of education in higher education administration with a minor in economics and a master of arts in English from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in business from the University of Texas at Tyler, Texas.
Russell is the chair of the National Advisory Committee for the Center for Community College Advancement, Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Russell was the second of four chancellor candidates who will speak at the university in the next week and a half. Forums will be hosted for staff, faculty and students. About 30 people attended Russell’s faculty forum.
The biggest question Russell faced during the forum was what she would do as chancellor given that she does not have full-time college teaching experience.
“What do you want in your chancellor?” Russell replied. “You are the content specialists. I’m not an expert in every field. What I am is your advocate to communicate with community, business and industry.”
Another faculty member asked how Russell would work to make the university more competitive with higher education alternatives offered in the Lafayette area, especially with no extra money available due to looming state budget cuts.
“I would have internal and external focus groups and reach out to community to learn the local industry needs,” Russell said. “We need to advertise LSU Eunice’s strengths, build on them and market the brand around that.”
Professor Tony Baltakis questioned Russell’s philosophy regarding the inclusion of faculty in decision making on campus, the relationship between the college and the town of Eunice and what could be done to boost morale at the university.
“I want to get to know faculty and staff and be an advocate for you,” Russell said. “I have an open door policy. I can’t make decisions on things I don’t know about. I hope to communicate and be transparent.”
Russell again suggested using focus groups as a way to determine issues on campus, and once issues are resolved, moving forward and determining what direction to take.
“We should reach out and mend fences and explore new opportunities that may exist,” Russell said. “Partnerships (with local industries) could put us in much better positions. People are not just going to reach in. We have to reach out.”
Talk of partnerships led to questions about students who come to the school needing to take remedial courses before taking their regular college courses.
“We (the state) are trying to fix this with Common Core,” one faculty member said. “It’s going very slowly, and its very frustrating. Some students need more than they are bringing in.”
“I have experienced this before,” Russell said. “Seventy percent of the students at Tyler need some type of remedial.”
“We can work with school districts to help bridge that gap. We can’t fix what is happening in K through 12, but we can help bridge the gap.”
Russell also talked about putting in place policies to ensure student retention, especially with first generation college students, and working to gain the trust of parents whose children are students at the university.
The next chancellor candidate, Richard G. Shrubb, former president at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, is scheduled to visit LSU-Eunice today.
The final candidate, Keith D. McLaughlin, vice president of institutional planning and effectiveness at Morton College in Cicero, Illinois, is to visit the campus on May 11.