Chancellor candidate visits LSUE

Raising paychecks and morale, applying the best aspects of online learning and seeking partnerships in the community were some of the topics discussed at the faculty forum with one of four Louisiana State University Eunice chancellor candidates.
“This school is small enough that change could happen faster than at some of the larger schools I have worked at,” said Scott Amundsen, a finalist for LSUE chancellor. “This institution is the right size. In my first Skype interview for the position, I noticed that people here are open to change. There are some low hanging fruit, some things that could be done right away to improve enrollment and retention.
“This job was an attractive opportunity to me.”
Amundsen is the first to visit the campus.
Amundsen has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, and he is vice provost and dean of University Studies at Trident University International, which is an online university based in Cypress, California. About 30 to 40 people attended Amundsen’s faculty forum.
“Higher education is in the news every day,” Amundsen said. “Change is hard but failure is even harder. There are things to change and if we don’t make the changes then someone else will. We have to be strategic and make the most of what we have and retain the high quality people we already have.”
“If LSU Eunice is going to be among the best two-year schools in region, state and country, it needs to have the best teachers.”
Before opening the floor to questions, Amundsen cited innovations and adaptive software as things LSUE could use to attract more non traditional students.
“We are still not getting back the people who may have started school here 15 or 20 years ago and not finished,” he said. “We need to get them back.”
Patricia Brown, a reference librarian, was the first to address Amundsen.
“You said the budget is the biggest problem at LSU Eunice right now,” Brown said. “How would expansion in online help with budget problems?”
“If we use the best teachers and teaching techniques, we will attract more students,” Amundsen said. “We take the best things MOOC (massive open online course) has to offer and apply it to a brick and mortar setting.”
Another faculty member questioned Amundsen about what attracted him to apply for job in the Eunice area.
“You’re not just here to steal our water are you?” the faculty member asked, laughing.
“I’m a southeastern guy,” Amundsen replied. “I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. When I read the ad, I’d never even heard of Eunice. I thought ‘What is that?’ The ad said, ‘This is Cajun Country.’ I thought, ‘Is that a warning?’”
“I am fascinated with culture. This area is deep and rich in culture, and I am willing to embrace the culture. I am looking for the opportunity to grow. This was an attractive opportunity to me.”
Professor Tony Baltakis asked Amundsen what his thoughts are on including faculty in large scale decisions on campus.
“If you’re not listening to faculty, things are not going to work,” Amundsen replied.
Larry Cooper, coordinator of computer information technology, asked the candidate what he would do about low morale at the campus, and several in the crowd told Amundsen that there have not been raises at the school in eight years.
“It’s (no raises) a problem,” Amundsen said. “The cost of living doesn’t stop going up, and benefits are being chopped. It’s not sustainable.”
“We can’t attract the best teachers if word gets around about no raises. That’s hard to shake. The setting is very challenging.”
“I think the last dean would have liked to have given raises, but our problem is the legislature,” said another faculty member. “Have you ever had to deal with such bull headed legislators?”
“Bring it up every chance you can,” Amundsen responded. “Just keep beating the drum. We’ve got to be aggressive and look at all the options.”
Another faculty member suggested getting with local industries and seeing what LSUE “could do for them.”
“There are businesses in town that want to be involved,” the faculty member said.
“LSUE’s relationship with this town is lousy,” Baltakis said. “People don’t even know this is a college town.”
“We can’t rest on that this is the best show in town,” Amundsen said. “We need to put ourselves out there, look for partnerships, make the best of what we have and seek more opportunities.”
The next chancellor candidate, Kimberly A. Russell, vice president for advancement and external affairs at Tyler Junior College, will visit LSUE Tuesday.
The candidates and information about them was posted on the LSUE website. The posting included the following:
Amundsen, vice provost and dean of University Studies at Trident University International. Amundsen has worked in higher education for more than 20 years. He joined Trident as an associate dean of the College of Health Sciences and Education in 2010 and also served as the dean of the College of Business and Information Systems before assuming his current role as associate provost. Prior to joining Trident, he was the associate dean for curricular programming at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the director of academic advising and retention at Eastern Kentucky University. He has published several books, journal articles, and monograph chapters on student success and strength-based student services. Amundsen holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from The University of North Carolina Greensboro, a M.Ed. in community and occupational education from The University of South Carolina, and a B.A. in government from Campbell University.
Russell serves as vice president for advancement and external affairs and executive director of the Tyler Junior College Foundation at Tyler Junior College, Texas. Previously, Russell served as the director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at LeTourneau University, Texas. 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, 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.
Richard G. Shrubb is the former president at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota. At Minnesota West, he directed the college to it’s highest graduation rate in school history and saw the college named as One of the National Top Community Colleges by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. Before joining Minnesota West, he served as vice president of Academic and Students Affairs for Terra State Community College in Ohio. Scrubb was also selected as Fulbright Scholar for the Community College Administrators Seminar in the Russian Federation. He holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and supervision of high education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a M.B.A. from William Carey University. He has a masters of arts degree in English from Southeastern Louisiana University. Shrubb’s forums will be May 7.
Keith D. McLaughlin is vice president of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness at Morton College in Cicero, Illinois. Before being named vice president, McLaughlin served as the interim dean of Career and Technical Education. He took time off of higher education to serve as the assistant director of the Public Library System in Jacksonville, Florida, after serving as an adjunct faculty ember and K-12 teacher mentor at Florida State College. He began his higher education work experience at Corning Community College as an admission counselor and worked his way up to the acting director of admissions. McLaughlin earned his Ph.D. in education administration from the University of Texas at Austin and has a masters of science in management from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. He also attended the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. McLaughlin’s forums will be May 11.