Kansas Board of Regents Chair Jon Rolph is asking the Emporia community to do all it can to help facilitate and support the well-publicized changes currently ongoing at Emporia State University.
In an “opinion piece” sent to KVOE, Rolph stated he recently spent time with the “expanded leadership team” of ESU. During that time he overheard comments from team members and left the meeting with a high level of encouragement thanks to the “resolve and energy” he perceived from those interactions.
Rolph says the futures of both Emporia State and the greater Emporia community are “intertwined” and a “strong and vibrant Emporia State will contribute purposefully to the future economic opportunities and quality of life for Emporians and surrounding communities.”
To that end, Rolph encouraged the Emporia community to be active participants in the “transformation” of the university as part of the reinvestment for the future initiative that began following KBOR approval of ESU’s Framework for Workforce Management policy last September. The framework came about as enrollment has been on a decline for the past 18 years, in line with declines being seen across the nation, resulting in several negative impacts such as extensive budget cuts across the campus.
Since approval of the framework, the university has announced several reinvestment plans with the latest being a complete reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The framework also led to the termination of roughly 30 faculty members which drew heavy criticism from both University and Emporia community members.
Opinion piece from Kansas Board of Regents Chair Jon Rolph
There is no doubt that Higher Education will look different ten years from now than it does today. Many factors have contributed to changing the economics both for universities and for students. We have recently faced these new realities head-on at Emporia State through an extensive and at times painful restructuring.
In line with national trends, on-campus enrollment at Emporia State has been declining for eighteen years resulting in budget-cutting every year. This negatively impacts long-term strategies and limits our opportunities to create a bright future for our state’s first public university.
The Emporia community and Emporia State’s futures are intertwined in meaningful ways. In fact, a strong and vibrant Emporia State will contribute purposefully to the future economic opportunities and quality of life for Emporians and surrounding communities. It is imperative for Emporia, Emporia State, and for Kansas that we allocate our efforts and resources toward deliberate, well-considered strategies that will make this relationship as prosperous as possible for the greatest number of people.
Earlier this month, my duties as Chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents afforded me the opportunity to spend some time with the expanded leadership team now guiding Emporia State’s future. There were Deans, Administrators, Faculty, Students, Staff, and Foundation representatives around the table. I was encouraged by the resolve and energy that I perceived in their comments and saw in their eyes. It will take uncommon determination, optimism, and broad support to get us there.
As we turn the corner into a new year and a new semester, I encourage every member of the Emporia community to participate in this transformation by contributing your abilities and strengths wherever and whenever you can. You have a committed group of servant leaders who are leading transformational change and need your support, encouragement, and partnership.
