PITTSBURG, Kan. — What does a brand new college president do on his first day on the job?
In case you’re Daniel Shipp, you spend the primary day greeting about 150 incoming college students at freshman orientation. In any case, you are all in the identical boat and brand-new to the campus.
“For me, I am the brand new individual on the block, so I’ve rather a lot to study and a variety of people to fulfill with,” he stated.
Shipp’s first day as president of Pittsburg State College was Monday, coming simply two months after he was publicly introduced because the candidate to succeed the longtime president, Steve Scott, who has retired.
Throughout interviews with the information media Monday afternoon, Shipp stated his precedence throughout the first few weeks will probably be to get to know PSU by means of the eyes of the college, workers, college students and others who help the campus. He’ll haven’t any scarcity of alternatives, if Monday’s meet and greet with the Pitt CARES group of incoming freshmen was any indication.
“There’s a variety of assembly people,” he stated. “The college work continues all through the summer time. Many school are right here, and now we have summer time college, and our workers and management and everybody (is right here) in preparation mode for subsequent fall.”
Studying about his new environs will probably be made simpler by the institution of a transitional advisory interval this summer time, throughout which neighborhood and campus leaders will work with Shipp to assist him perceive Southeast Kansas, “about issues we must be happy with and the issues that we should always work on,” he stated.
In actual fact, it is studying in regards to the neighborhood that Shipp is especially enthusiastic about, as the town’s relationship with the college is a part of what him drew him to the function within the first place.
“I feel that that is actually some of the distinctive locations within the nation the place the college and neighborhood actually share a care and curiosity in what one another does and the way they will work collectively to make the area higher,” he stated, including that his precedence will probably be so as to add to that momentum.
However maybe Shipp’s biggest precedence for Pittsburg State is centered on scholar success.
Throughout the upper training panorama, college students are enrolling in diploma packages however not ending because of different obstacles, or they’re graduating however with huge quantities of debt. Many college students graduate with transcripts that “characterize nice studying in a selected self-discipline or program,” however they lack abilities resembling collaboration, management and significant pondering which are additionally wanted within the workforce, Shipp stated.
“What we wish to add to that, and I feel the problem in larger training, is what are these competencies and abilities along with that transcript that you just take with you that may assist you to make a constructive contribution to society?” he stated. “We assume they will determine it out as soon as they go away, however I feel now we have to be much more intentional about respiratory worth into that studying atmosphere.”
Shipp stated his duty as president will probably be to make sure that college students are receiving as many alternatives as potential to attach what they study contained in the classroom with the world round them exterior of the classroom. As rising numbers of first-generation college students enroll in faculty, that aim will turn out to be extra essential, he stated.
“We now have to be express and intentional about the way to assist them develop as complete folks,” he stated. “That is taking place right here (at PSU). I feel my job is to make sure it is taking place for all of our college students.”