Provost candidate addresses cost of college, enrollment, access
Elizabeth Hendrey thinks about the challenges facing higher education every day.
As provost and vice president of academic affairs at Queens College, City University of New York, Hendrey said it’s her job to create a successful and sustainable college in the ever-changing world of higher education.
Elizabeth Hendrey
“It is a very tumultuous time for high education,” Hendrey said, speaking to faculty, staff and students in the Bruce Pitman Center Vandal Ballroom Friday. Hendrey is one of five candidates vying for the position of provost and executive vice president at the University of Idaho.
Hendrey said the cost of college is a major concern for students and their families. At UI, she said the challenge does not seem to be as pressing, as the university has affordable in-state tuition rates and offers merit-based scholarships for in-state and out-of-state students. Hendrey said even though there’s still some work to be done, she was encouraged to see the average UI student has $4,000 less debt than the national average.
Hendrey said universities face further scrutiny from the general public and the federal government, and institutions are being asked to show their value to society.
“High quality institutions have to do more about explaining why they are high quality, and that hasn’t been necessary in the past,” she said.
Hendrey said higher education also faces issues of enrollment and access. In Idaho, she said the rate at which high school students attend college lags behind other states, particularly among minority students. She said reversing the trend is a long-term goal that would require outreach on the part of UI and work within the K-12 system to ensure students are ready for college.
Hendrey said UI should reach out to nontraditional students to increase enrollment and provide them with they skills they need in a modern work force.
“It might be good for the bottom line as well, but I think it would be good for the state and good for those individuals,” she said.
A large part of increasing conversion rates is reaching students at a young age and showing them higher education is a possibility, Hendrey said.
“It’s an important social problem, and I think it’s something universities need to address,” she said.
Hendrey said she is attracted to UI because of the balance between the land-grant research mission and the focus on the undergraduate experience. She said she would also like a change from her current position and would enjoy working on a centralized campus in a smaller community.
Hendrey said distance education plays an important role in the future of higher education and can also attract non-traditional students who might not have the means to physically come to campus.
Speaking with a group of students before the presentation, Hendrey said although she does not oversee student affairs in her current position, she interacts with students often. She said hearing student perspectives and ideas is important to her, and as provost, she would like to have regular meetings with students.
Hendrey said she didn’t anticipate becoming an administrator early in her career, but found a strong interest in building academic programs and having a stake in the entire institution.
“I find a creative aspect to administration,” she said.
Although there are many issues affecting higher education, Hendrey said she thinks UI has taken positive steps toward addressing these challenges and is optimistic the university can be successful going forward.
“I learned a great deal about what you do, and I have to say, became even more impressed about what a terrific place it is,” Hendrey said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]