Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Join NABR in partnership with Corp! Magazine for our CEO & Executive Thought Leadership Series, where Jennifer Kluge sits down with C-Suite Leaders to get their insight and expertise.
NABR is a service organization igniting greatness in companies and their people.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:36:05
Jennifer
Hello everyone and welcome. This is another episode of our CEO Thought Leadership. I'm your host, Jennifer Kluge, and today we have a very special guest, Doctor Richard Pappas, president of Davenport University. Davenport, just so everyone knows, is a Michigan based private, nonprofit university with statewide and online campuses. More than one. And with more than 40 years of experience in higher education, Doctor Pappas has enhanced Davenport University's academic programs.
00:00:36:07 - 00:00:47:04
Jennifer
Student retention, student satisfaction, and philanthropic contributions have reached all time highs. So it's a pleasure to have you on the program.
00:00:47:06 - 00:00:54:13
Richard
Thank you, Jennifer, I'm excited to be on the program. This is this this and a pair of, you know, beautiful week. So.
00:00:54:15 - 00:01:12:20
Jennifer
I can't think of a better time to talk to a university president. With everything going on in the world right now. So can you give the listeners today a feel for your priorities at Davenport University and a feel for how you're different as a university?
00:01:12:24 - 00:01:36:12
Richard
Oh, that's that's great. I'd be happy to, you know, the university was founded in 1866. And Jennifer, I wasn't, student directly here during that period of time. But what's different, I've been at, Davenport for 16 years, and, I've been a president for 36 years. And so I started when I was only 12. But Davenport is indeed different.
00:01:36:12 - 00:02:05:02
Richard
We have all the same accreditations as every other university. But one of the things when I was hired, the board really wanted to do was to focus in on student outcomes. And so we developed a balanced scorecard and and, based on Malcolm Baldrige International Quality of, of, international standards of quality. What's cool about that is we are the first university in the history of Michigan to ever win the State Quality Award in 2020.
00:02:05:04 - 00:02:29:22
Richard
And one of the reasons we won was because we've increased now our graduation rate by 200%. We've increased our student retention, by 32%. We're quicker than most. We can create a new degree in 60 days and and and make sure it's relevant. So all of our, our degrees and all of our colleges have jobs attached to it.
00:02:29:22 - 00:02:51:09
Richard
So we have a College of technology. College of business, College of health, College of Arts and Science and a College of Urban education that we created, about six years ago. And what's great about it is our philosophy is that it's not enough to accept you, to retain you, to graduate you, but also to place you into that job.
00:02:51:09 - 00:03:04:23
Richard
We have guarantees and have our degrees. It says that if you sign up with us and you do what we ask, maintain a 3.0. We'll guarantee you'll get a job in your field within six months after graduating.
00:03:05:00 - 00:03:24:19
Jennifer
That's a really good point, because do you ever Univer university does something that not every university does? I know you partner with companies. We do. And you customize training and education for those jobs that are existing. Not it's not theory is practical.
00:03:24:21 - 00:03:47:18
Richard
It's practical. We have we have corporate partnership with almost every large company and mid-sized company in Michigan. And what we do is we make it easier for them. We've customized MBAs, Michigan Master's of Business Administration to the philosophy of the corporation. It allows adults who want to come. But, you know, so hard to get started often. And we get them started.
00:03:47:18 - 00:04:14:03
Richard
We get the financial aid people out there, we get the admissions people out there, and our goal is to close the talent gap. Just recently, we created two new mental health degrees, for example, master's in nursing, nurse practitioner, psychiatric nursing. And we created a master's of mental health for any organization. So when you think about the mental strain of the pandemic and all of that, and it has been so well received.
00:04:14:03 - 00:04:26:08
Richard
So, so we're excited to partner with not only companies and hospitals, but really what the students who really need to, get a job or get, promoted within their current position.
00:04:26:08 - 00:04:40:23
Jennifer
Yeah, I love that. And I love that, you know, the end game of the experience of the student. And it serves the community in such a strong and powerful way. There's such a need for quality talent. So congratulations on thank.
00:04:40:23 - 00:04:41:17
Richard
You.
00:04:41:19 - 00:04:55:02
Jennifer
There. There's so much going on in the world right now. You mentioned you have many years of experience. In fact, your your, the longest serving university president in the state of Michigan.
00:04:55:04 - 00:04:57:14
Richard
And there might be one more. I might be second.
00:04:57:20 - 00:04:59:21
Jennifer
There's a couple. Okay, well, you're up there.
00:04:59:23 - 00:05:01:23
Richard
I'm up in the top 2 or 3.
00:05:02:04 - 00:05:31:18
Jennifer
There are some challenges in the world right now as it relates to education and colleges and universities. There's grant funds possibly being, taken away. There's executive orders. There's all this, quote unquote stuff around diversity, equity and inclusion and reducing DNI with universities and the power of the government with grants behind that. It's a hot topic.
00:05:31:18 - 00:05:34:23
Jennifer
It's an important topic and topic. What are your thoughts?
00:05:35:01 - 00:05:56:24
Richard
Well, I think I think the AI has been misunderstood and, it's so I look at it as, are we going to respect everybody and teach respect for everybody, no matter what their background is, no matter what their religion is, no matter what their sexual orientation is, no matter what. And the answer is we are going to do that.
00:05:56:24 - 00:06:23:11
Richard
And and we, you know, we don't hire by the race. We hire for the best quality employee. So we're well within the law. And I just think karma minds need to be here and say, I'm not saying that there's not a threat to hire at because there is. I mean, research is being, of important research on cancer and, and Alzheimer's and that's, that's that's not good.
00:06:23:13 - 00:06:45:01
Richard
And but our position is not I'm not we're not democratic. We're not Republican. We're not independent, but it's to support our students and support our employees. And so, you know, when I thought about what happened to the presidents who went to Capitol Hill and, and they weren't supporting anti-Semitism, I was a little surprised by the answers. And I'm not being critical of anyone.
00:06:45:01 - 00:07:09:16
Richard
I'm just saying we don't support anti-Semitism, we don't support racism. We don't support. And so what we're doing is taking a wait and see, look. But we're totally for a dei. And the manner in which I just talked about, we have one of the largest percentages of people of color. About 34% of our students are people of color.
00:07:09:18 - 00:07:35:08
Richard
And what's really interesting is almost 50% of our students are first generation students. And it's what's really cool about the students first gens are harder to graduate because they don't have the support, but we have been doing things like, mentor, peer mentoring. And, you know, that the people used for mentoring, it's a 90% retention for us.
00:07:35:10 - 00:07:57:18
Richard
And, and across the country, it's in the 40s. And so I think that we're being alert, alerted to how we're going to respond to federal grants and and so forth. But, you know, we're now the largest private for two years in a row in the state. And and we're continuing to grow. And so but it is a challenge.
00:07:57:18 - 00:08:23:13
Richard
It's a challenge for so many presidents. You know, that that it used to be that the average lifespan of a president was eight years. And now it's under six, it's 5.8. And then people are left during the pandemic. And now there's, there's this real struggle with, with interference, by government. So our stance is we're continuing to do the good work that we've we've intended to.
00:08:23:13 - 00:08:31:05
Jennifer
Just keep moving forward. And, I think you said in the beginning, de is very misunderstood and.
00:08:31:05 - 00:08:31:17
Richard
Put it.
00:08:31:19 - 00:08:41:17
Jennifer
All into the same definition everywhere. So thank you for continuing that work. Another hot topic, the cost of education.
00:08:41:19 - 00:08:42:02
Richard
Right.
00:08:42:07 - 00:09:15:20
Jennifer
So here I, we don't have to get into the details of, the costs there, but, you know, average costs for, state education or what have you. It's $30,000 sometimes private schools are 80, $90,000 just to attend, college. And then you graduate and you have the debt of the education. And the salaries don't match that. Some say that there is, a bubble that's going to burst in education.
00:09:15:22 - 00:09:31:15
Jennifer
Let's talk about affordability. And let's talk about industrywide. And, and then I'll also, if you want to talk about, Davenport specifically feel free to do so. But what is happening? Why does it cost so much to go to school?
00:09:31:17 - 00:09:57:05
Richard
It has gone up, substantially. All things have gone up substantially. But I do think that there's some education that is too high. So we've drafted a vision 2030 and we'll start this July. And in there there's an affordability section. And right now we're the third lowest tuition for privates. And so you have to look at the net price of education.
00:09:57:05 - 00:10:23:11
Richard
So we have about 92 to 95% of our students are on scholarships or on Pell Grants or on some funding. And our goal is to make, all events, all of higher ed, accountable. The difference with us is I'll give you an example. When someone transfers from a social from a community college to a university, they don't accept other credits.
00:10:23:11 - 00:11:04:14
Richard
We accept the full degree. They save money when they do this over and over. The fact we do that intentionally, because we think that, you shouldn't have to take credits and the other affordability side that we have, which is really important, our net price with all the scholarships is competitive with just about anybody. Now, the difference is with us, when you graduate, you're going to get a high paying, degree because they're all there's no you know, we have history and English and all of those political science in the degree, but we don't have a degree in history and political science because it's tough to get a, a job that way.
00:11:04:14 - 00:11:35:01
Richard
So all of ours, we know what the market is. We understand the market better than anyone else. But affordability is real, and we take it seriously. And I restitutions there's some people who probably can't afford it. So we fight like crazy to make sure that every type of student. So we started a new program called a first of its kind in the country called Casa Latina and is, so and one of the reasons, you know, that only in Michigan, only 2% of all Latinos have a bachelor's or above.
00:11:35:03 - 00:12:05:12
Richard
So one of the reasons they don't go to college is that they're afraid of the language barrier. So we have one week in English, one week in Spanish, one weekend, and all of our services are multilingual, financial aid and everything. Our website is both in and Spanish. And the reason I brought that up is because we have funded much of that program through grants and scholarships, so that they could be afforded the ability to go to higher education.
00:12:05:14 - 00:12:26:23
Richard
But it is a national issue, and we're not taking it lightly. And, I mean, if it's a low tuition, but they don't have a place to go after they get the degree, it's a good point. And they're going to have debt. And we have privates, believe it or not, have lower debt per student than the public do.
00:12:27:00 - 00:12:54:07
Richard
And it and so on. Any data stuff. And I and I agree with that. So envision 2030 beyond talking about artificial intelligence and those kinds of things. We talked about how do we become affordable differently to each type of student. So the student coming out of high school, the transfer student who comes to us, the adult who has some credits from a whole bunch of institutions, you know, how do we make it affordable for them in the graduate school?
00:12:54:09 - 00:13:16:07
Richard
And so, it's not a bad question. It's a correct question. But I will tell you the one thing that's out there that Congress and other places is that you don't need a degree anymore. All the data shows the higher the degree, the more money you're going to make. It is is not disputable. And we've been happy to share this data.
00:13:16:09 - 00:13:43:23
Richard
It's everywhere. And so if you want to get a bachelor's degree in business, do they make more money than the person who doesn't have a degree? Yes. Or they associate yes. And our technology degrees, some of them, some of our people in cyber, for example, are starting six figures. We have a full master's in undergrad in cybersecurity. And and all of these programs are cool.
00:13:44:01 - 00:14:04:04
Richard
Now, I mean, I love it because, I mean, this mental health thing is so fantastic. I even have a daughter who is in the master's degree for mental health because I have somebody, my son has a legal background. My daughter is a physician, so I need somebody to take care of all my mental health issues.
00:14:04:06 - 00:14:05:24
Jennifer
I mean, to my family.
00:14:06:00 - 00:14:28:01
Richard
And my daughter. That's the last person I should do it. But and in all sincerity, the affordability issue. But the credibility of higher education, it's still the American dream. You come here, you can become anything you want to be. You want to be a nurse. You want to be a cyber security, professional. You can do this. And, I think we lose that sometimes in the discussion.
00:14:28:07 - 00:14:37:12
Jennifer
Well said, well said. Now, you mentioned your family. What? People don't know, which I'd like to share. Your father or which, but.
00:14:37:14 - 00:14:39:08
Richard
All right. Yeah. No.
00:14:39:14 - 00:14:58:15
Jennifer
Your father, Doctor Charles Pappas, was also a president of a community college. He was, your son, doctor Brian Pappas, was recently named chancellor at Indiana University, South Bend. So it's in the family. So almost like a family business.
00:14:58:16 - 00:15:00:22
Richard
It's like a family business.
00:15:00:24 - 00:15:14:04
Jennifer
Why did you choose to go the path that you have gone? Obviously you had exposure as as a child, but why lead and why lead in higher education?
00:15:14:06 - 00:15:39:01
Richard
You know, you're right. My dad was in both the university and community college. He was a dean of business up at Northern Michigan. And then he was, president of my community college in Flint. And I saw firsthand the impact that he had on people who who are discounted so often, but yet are bright, and they need an opportunity.
00:15:39:03 - 00:16:02:05
Richard
And and when I saw that this transformation, I decided, you know, out of my three, two older brothers who are very successful people, I thought I'd be the least one to follow his. But I got really turned on. He at the University of Michigan, there was a professor named Joe Cozadd who got me also motivated. And, I'll just tell you a story of what?
00:16:02:07 - 00:16:25:08
Richard
Why I do what I do. We had a, a female student in Lansing. We have campuses, our biggest campus in Grand Rapids, and we're in, we're in the same conference with Wayne State and Grand Valley and so forth, or Division two and CWA. But she was in, in our cyber program. But she started off in Lansing in a homeless shelter with her daughter, and she was afraid her daughter was going to get in trouble.
00:16:25:08 - 00:16:49:21
Richard
So she happened to go into our Lansing campus, and she got really turned on by the topic of cyber, got her bachelors with us, got our master's with us. She worked for the federal government, and now she's a major leader. And one of the tech companies. And what I saw that transformation, she spoke at commencement. It put chills on my back that this transformation happens to so many students when they're given an opportunity.
00:16:49:21 - 00:17:02:20
Richard
She worked hard and it was hard for her. But that's why I do what I do. It's it is the most humbling experience to see how people overcome all these major obstacles.
00:17:02:22 - 00:17:03:06
Jennifer
Yeah.
00:17:03:06 - 00:17:22:06
Richard
And achieve. And so and then my son, I'm really proud of of he'll start July 1st. And you're right he's a third generation. I have a daughter who's a dermatologist, and I have another daughter who is a, who's working on her masters in mental health and, all smart, all smarter than me. All three of them, or.
00:17:22:06 - 00:17:25:03
Jennifer
So they think. Right. And on the day.
00:17:25:05 - 00:17:26:18
Richard
I'm pretty confident right now.
00:17:26:23 - 00:17:50:11
Jennifer
We all have monumental moments in our careers and in our journeys. Some shape us because it was such a negative experience. We learn from it and we moved on. Others were more of a positive experience, and it was monumental for us, and it encouraged us to go to the next level. Could you share one of your career monumental moments.
00:17:50:13 - 00:18:15:21
Richard
Give you a, negative and a positive one. The negative one was during the pandemic. And I was so proud of our employees and our students. So we went online totally in two days, completely online. It was really cool. And, and we, my leadership and I met every day, and we would send a lot of messages, a lot of communicate.
00:18:15:24 - 00:18:35:20
Richard
And, and our employees, our faculty staff took care of our students. And our is the funny, our employee satisfaction. That's one of our key performance indicators went up during the pandemic, which is I just never thought it would end. What was humbling is enrollment went down for all institutions, certainly went down for us during that period of time.
00:18:35:22 - 00:19:05:21
Richard
And so I had to sort of restructure the university, very difficult, very the toughest time of my all my years. And then the resilience, we actually use that as a theme. It came from some of our employees, how we came back from it. It is astonishing. The, like, for example, we had this year, all of our key performance indicators for employee satisfaction was that student satisfaction was up, hit all our enrollment goals, our fundraising we had.
00:19:05:23 - 00:19:32:23
Richard
And it's I'm just so proud. But it it's but it was very difficult internally to make the tough decisions and but but but it it made me humble more humble than I was. And it also gave me such appreciation for what we had, what we had. And that was a momentous moment. But it turned out to be positive, because when you can, you know you're going to get obstacles in your life, right?
00:19:33:00 - 00:19:54:14
Richard
It's not if you're going to get the obstacles, how you're going to deal with it and how are you going to overcome them. Some of the positive, a positive one was I was a 30 year old Dean. And I've got to tell you, I, I thought they made a mistake in hiring me because I remember walking through the door and thinking, what do I do now?
00:19:54:16 - 00:20:14:10
Richard
But I had a great mentor. You know, I've had great mentors in my life. My dad, of course, my parents. But my, professor from Michigan, he was the first person who told me I could do it, become a president. But there was the president of this college that I was indeed. And he was the most patient man in the world.
00:20:14:13 - 00:20:33:02
Richard
And he needed to be patient to have me as a dean, because I'm I'm laid back compared to what I was like at 30. And that was momentous to me, that people thought, you can do this. And I think, I think there's so many people say that you can't in your life, you can't do that. You can't be this, you can't be that.
00:20:33:04 - 00:20:57:10
Richard
And our attitude, our philosophy at Davenport is you can and we'll help you. I don't I see every student we chip. I want to see them graduating. Everyone I don't want anybody to drop out for any reason. And so I would say that's a positive side. And then even the negative one turned into such a positive appreciation of of resilience.
00:20:57:12 - 00:21:18:21
Jennifer
Great, great story. And we I hope people listening can have a similar story of where somebody said, you can do it, you can do it, or who's underneath you that you can encourage and tell them that they can do it, give them a shot. If you don't think they can do it 100%, just give them a shot.
00:21:18:22 - 00:21:39:00
Richard
And that one word of, you know, I think you can do this really? That small gesture goes a long way. I remember the professor, the, Joe Cross and said, you know, you could be a president someday. And I said, you know, my dad was telling me that my mother was telling me that. But you expect your parents to.
00:21:39:00 - 00:21:49:13
Richard
Yeah. You know, to lie to you about your potential. So anyway, it's been a it is a great privilege to be in Davenport.
00:21:49:15 - 00:22:15:14
Jennifer
That's great. And everyone listening do that for someone else because it it does go a long way. You had been, chatting with us about the, increased, key performance indicators at Davenport. I happen to know that your best and greatest company to work for as well. So it's not just talking for the last selfie with you.
00:22:15:14 - 00:22:41:20
Jennifer
It's. There's numbers and data that prove the success is working for other leaders. Listening right now, we're watching us. Could you please tell them how you did it? What are the tactics to change and make performance? Numbers move. Move to move the needle to actually drive results and hit goals. How are you doing that? Is there a formula?
00:22:41:22 - 00:23:01:23
Richard
Well, first thing we did is I brought in when I first got to Davenport, I created a position called EVP for Quality and Effectiveness. And I hired somebody that I had known before that was really good. Was Malcolm Baldrige quality. So the first thing we did is we decided, well, what is the most important measurements, you know, what are we required to do?
00:23:01:23 - 00:23:19:22
Richard
But what should we be doing as well? And so, you know, you're required to do retention. But that's one of the most important key performances where you're hearing fall to one fall. So we created I think we started with 18 that we, we we realized some of them were lagging indicators not leading. So now we have 12 indicators.
00:23:19:22 - 00:23:42:22
Richard
We even do one that measures our students after they graduate by the employer where they set, where they ready to work. Like we're measuring soft skills and putting it in the transcripts, critical thinking problems. And so we're measuring that in the classes they take so that when you hire them as an employer, they'll be ready to work. Don't know how to work in groups.
00:23:42:22 - 00:24:03:23
Richard
You don't learn that typically. And so we want our students to be really prepared. So what we did is we agreed on the let's say the 12 now. And the board bought in to it and they even, have a pay for performance. How we do. So if we don't hit our enrollment goals, there's, that's gone and that's okay.
00:24:04:00 - 00:24:23:01
Richard
There's so a lot of it's measurable, very measurable stuff. And our data analytics is good. So when we do I'll give you an example. When we do a student satisfaction survey and we do it we we don't. We're like just on it I have a meet the president at each campus which is really meet the students and so that they can talk to me and they can complain to me.
00:24:23:01 - 00:24:41:19
Richard
They can do all those kind of cool things. When you look at that employee, that student satisfaction survey and say, what is this telling us? What can we improve? So when do I go to the Meet the President? There was one campuses that why can't we have the library open the same small during during finals I said, I don't know.
00:24:41:19 - 00:25:06:15
Richard
So the campus later said, can we open this? Yes. Okay. Done. Is there anybody else? But it's it's a small things that we're listening. And then and then with employee satisfaction and how we did that we do a survey to is it's not just about compensation that's important, but it's about am I involving you in decision making? Do you are you appreciated for the work you do?
00:25:06:17 - 00:25:30:23
Richard
Do we recognize people. So we started looking at what is it that they're saying to us? They're talking to us. It's anonymous. But and then we started improving and then we started saying, why? Why can't we do certain things that, you know, for example, for tutoring, we now have 24 over seven tutoring so that you shouldn't have to wait three days or four days.
00:25:31:00 - 00:25:55:07
Richard
And it's in our I have a great leadership team. They're all they could work anywhere, but they choose to work here. And so they come in. We have an innovation group that anybody can suggest new degrees and, you know, from not only employers but employees. And then we do a data analytics of it are there jobs for this degree if there's no jobs we're not going to do it.
00:25:55:09 - 00:26:18:16
Richard
And so we focused in on these key performance indicators. You know we have the typical ones fundraising. And bottom line like other and most we do more than almost anybody that I've seen. But they're the most important outcomes. And most of them are student outcomes. You know, we expect that we're going to think our placement was 95%.
00:26:18:18 - 00:26:40:09
Richard
And, you know, it's it's very high and but it's intentionally high. And our board lets us come up with innovations like this, Castle Latina or urban that we created a program to teach, our teachers differently instead of their senior year this first time to get the high school to teach, we get them in their freshman year.
00:26:40:11 - 00:27:14:23
Richard
And, so I'm not saying other institutions aren't great. They are. We're just we're different because of our speed and our flexibility. And, I'll give you one last thing. I know there's so many things, but one of the things we noticed is that we have an athlete, right? We have athletic vision, too. So if an athlete in-seat in a class and they have to travel to go to Northern Michigan to play, they can become a, internet student in that same class they were in C, they can be online.
00:27:15:00 - 00:27:25:07
Richard
It's a it's and I had nothing to do with that one that came out of our academic area. But that that flexibility, knowing that students are going to have different circumstances in their lives.
00:27:25:09 - 00:27:56:17
Jennifer
It's truly amazing. And you, you, you should be very proud. There's some themes coming up. You mentioned speed and flexibility and I'm, I'm, sharing this for everyone listening speed and flexibility, nimbleness that helps when there's emergency merging. Let's talk about the quality, because the quality comes from truly understanding your client. That's right. And it's not just servicing your client's current needs, it's servicing your client's future needs.
00:27:56:18 - 00:27:57:15
Richard
That's right.
00:27:57:17 - 00:28:01:06
Jennifer
You're solving a problem that they don't even know they have yet.
00:28:01:08 - 00:28:26:24
Richard
That's right. And that's what we're saying. Like customize stuff comes in with corporations. But I we're saying that AI is as big as the internet was when that first came out, and that it's not whether AI is here, it is here and it is growing and we're embracing it so that we're going to I think it's going to, change the way that students learn, and it's going to change the way we teach.
00:28:27:01 - 00:28:48:20
Richard
And, it's, it's it's really a phenomena that it's incredible. And so it has its downside. But, but it's going to make it's not going to eliminate as many positions as people think. What it's going to do is get rid of the burdensome inputting of data and so forth to allow them to do their job that they want to do.
00:28:48:22 - 00:28:50:03
Richard
So much more.
00:28:50:05 - 00:29:11:13
Jennifer
Yeah. We'll have to have you back on the program in a year or two and see how you've adapted to the AI. The other key to your success to, for those listening, is the sweating of details and having the right measurements, the rate, almost not getting distracted by anything, being laser focused that is just exuding from you.
00:29:11:13 - 00:29:43:21
Jennifer
And again, congratulations on your success. One of the things we'd like to do on this program, leadership is hard. You know, people usually view leaders in the workplace by their title instead of just as a human trying to make the right thing happen. But so let's demystify the title and let's talk about you as a human. And I have a feeling, I know you already, as a human, because it exudes is part of who you are and in the position that you're in.
00:29:43:23 - 00:29:57:04
Jennifer
But what daily rituals do you have? How do you stay focused? How do you stay motivated? I mean, there pandemic was something, what did you do to take care of yourself in times of stress?
00:29:57:06 - 00:30:20:18
Richard
Yeah. No, it's thank you for asking that. So I've had a ritual for many, many years. Get up at 430, does a work day. I work out at 430. And so. And I watch the news when I'm working out. I hate it, but I've done it every day of my life. And. And what that does is it reduces for me stress.
00:30:20:22 - 00:30:43:00
Richard
And I handle stress usually. Okay. But during the pandemic I felt it was getting to me. And so being being at home was different. And, I noticed a lot of birds flew into my windows. I never knew that, you know, when I was home so much. But I get it normally in a regular day, I try to get to work at six.
00:30:43:02 - 00:31:04:12
Richard
Because I like that 6 to 8 period. It really lets me prepare for the day. And also time to think, and we don't do enough of that. And while we pay attention to details, you know, I try to delegate. So I'm not over looking over someone's shoulder to let them do their job. So that's some of it that I do.
00:31:04:12 - 00:31:30:05
Richard
And then I, I like to use self-deprecating humor. And there's lots of work with here, to to make a situation easier. And, and it's just what I like, and I like a informal work relationship. So everybody calls me, nobody uses the doctor. And and I think it's, it helps, it helps a lot.
00:31:30:05 - 00:31:35:24
Richard
So I like to read a lot. I'm, my mother was a prolific reader.
00:31:36:01 - 00:31:42:02
Jennifer
And who inspires you? What? What are you reading that inspires you? Or a speaker?
00:31:42:04 - 00:32:03:06
Richard
Well, it's different at times. My career, when I was a child, one of the books that I had the most influence, I mean, with black like me, it was about a guy who chemically colored his skin and went down to the South to really shield discrimination. That really resonated with me, really has stayed with me.
00:32:03:08 - 00:32:27:18
Richard
I used to read all about presidents, even when I was in my 20s and 30s, I changed. So I only read fiction and the fiction. I mean, I read books that are throughout my years for work, but I fiction, like, James Patterson at Grisham at the French game. And I actually, 15 years ago started writing a murder mystery on a university campus.
00:32:27:20 - 00:32:30:16
Richard
I can tell you, the president doesn't die in this,
00:32:30:18 - 00:32:35:16
Jennifer
Just going to say what happens to the president. When are we going to see that book on shelves?
00:32:35:16 - 00:32:53:17
Richard
I'm going to write. I'm going to finish it. I found it, just recently. And so. But I don't have as many hobbies as some of my colleagues do, I. I mean, I love sports, but I, you know, so it'll be a challenge the day that I retire. Well.
00:32:53:19 - 00:33:09:16
Jennifer
Now, let me let me ask you that on a personal note. And, and, you know, life can be challenging, but it's also rewarding. We get to do this. We get to lead. We get to make an impact on others. Rick, how do you define happiness?
00:33:09:16 - 00:33:37:02
Richard
Well, one of the things I've learned a long time ago is you can't expect other people to make you happy. That would be a mistake. I have a great wife, Pam, and, And my kids are phenomenal support. My. I have ten grandchildren, and I'm really thrilled. You know, I'm thrilled not to watch them all the time, but, I mean, I think what makes me happy is having a purpose in my life, and being able to help others.
00:33:37:02 - 00:33:54:17
Richard
Now, you know, in my early adult years, I was so ambitious. And this is this one. When I was a dean, this one president said, you're going to get there. But yeah, I have to slow down a little bit. You know, I was always on the move, and I still have a lot of that in me. I'm a lot wiser than I was.
00:33:54:19 - 00:34:20:11
Richard
So happiness is, is doing the things that really, give you joy. And it could be, it could be volunteering at some event, or it could be, you know, could be your work at. It is my work right now. But but but family makes me happy. And I know the things that don't make me happy. You know, I've developed Jennifer the old 24 hour rule when I'm upset, I wait 24 hours.
00:34:20:13 - 00:34:29:13
Richard
And, I still deal with the issue, but I'm always better. Some people are suggesting 72 hours, but I think that's two blocks of what.
00:34:29:13 - 00:34:43:00
Jennifer
Rick, it's been wonderful having you on the program. Thank you for your wisdom. I think a lot of leaders can learn a lot from you. So thank you for being on the program and just keep shining bright. Keep shining bright.
00:34:43:02 - 00:34:45:07
Richard
I appreciate you, Jennifer. Thank you.
00:34:45:09 - 00:34:49:04
Jennifer
All right. Wonderful having you on the show. Take care everyone. Bye bye.