In John Folkins’ view, a university needs to be a partner, not just a teacher.
“The idea behind many current institution is ‘We’re here, we teach, we do research and service, here’s what we can do for you,’” Folkins, the second of five candidates for the Emporia State University presidency, told an on-campus audience Thursday. “But we need to find out what the community needs, what the faculty and students need, and what we can come up with to benefit both parties.”
Folkins visited Emporia today and Thursday. He is the provost at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and, if selected, would start in January.
One question seemed to come up at every stop he made in Emporia: How much attention should online education receive?
Online learning can be a useful tool, he responded, but the main thrust of a school has to be face-to-face education.
“What we really are is a residential experience, principally for traditional-age students and face-to-face interaction,” Folkins said during a breakfast this morning with community members. “That’s something you can’t replace any other way. ... But if we can do something online that enhances and supplements the on-campus experience, that would be worthwhile.”
His view of the presidency is similar to his view of universities in general. Instead of saying “You will do this,” he said, a good president should talk things out and find out what is needed.
“My management style is very decentralized,” he said.
If Folkins seems to focus a lot on collaboration, it’s because he’s seen some good results. One initiative at Bowling Green, called Partners for Community Action, matches a faculty member with a community member and provides a small amount of seed money for joint projects. The results have included youth projects, social service projects and even a butterfly garden.
One longer-term project for his current college and one that’s still not completely done, is improving first-year retention rates. When Folkins came to the campus six years ago, it was slipping from 76 percent to 74. The campus then set a goal of 80 percent. It reached 79.1 percent this year.
“Forty percent of our students are first-generation students,” he said. “We want to make sure college is a positive thing for them.”
Access to students in general is important to him, along with their access to international study. Folkins said that means both taking students in from abroad and making sure that U.S. students have meaningful international exchange experiences beyond Northern Europe.
Folkins holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in speech and hearing sciences and has done postdoctoral work at the University of Seattle.
He stressed that he and ESU share very similar values and that each would enhance the other if he were chosen for the job.
“Although Emporia State is a great institution and does great things, it can do more,” he said during a news conference after the breakfast. “I hope I can make an influence in those areas and make a difference in the lives of the students as well as the community.”