Editor’s note: The Gazette, in order to provide more in-depth information on the ESU presidential candidates, is talking with members of the communities the candidates work in.
Sources in Lubbock, Texas, say that Dr. Michael Shonrock has been a strong influence in drawing students to Texas Tech University and in getting them — and himself — involved in the Lubbock community.
Shonrock, a professor and former administrator at Tech, is one of four finalists for the president’s job at Emporia State University.
He and his wife, Karen, visited Emporia last week, when he was interviewed for the position. A second candidate, Dr. Todd Diacon, is on campus this week for a similar vetting.
Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin saw Shonrock as an asset, both for Texas Tech and for the city.
“First and foremost, his people skills are top-notch,” Martin said. “He relates to everyone and he’s a good listener.
“And No. 2 is problem-solving. He’s not one to sit around and muse. ... He’s very well respected in the community. I don’t know of any weaknesses he has. It’s hard to say that about a lot of people, but I don’t know of any weaknesses that he has. He’s an extraordinary administrator, an extraordinary person.”
Student numbers up
Shonrock has been at Texas Tech for more than 20 years as a professor and administrator, including until recently the position of Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
Texas Tech President Guy Bailey announced in a memorandum in March of this year that Shonrock’s job would be eliminated because of cuts in state funding; jobs also eliminated were the dean of students and the vice president for student affairs and external relations, both of which reported to Shonrock as part of approximately 25 departments under his supervision.
Bailey said then in an interview with the Lubbock Avalanche Journal that the cuts were because of reduced funding “and not related to any dissatisfaction with their work.”
Elimination of the three upper-level administration salaries was expected to save Texas Tech about $500,000 per year.
“As abrupt as Monday’s announcement appears, Bailey said he has been planning these changes for weeks and didn’t see a reason to draw them out through a more gradual transition,” the Avalanche Journal reported.
“Micheal Shonrock did a good job,” Bailey was quoted as saying in the news report. “We’re not dissatisfied with his work. It’s just a part of what you have to do to survive right now.”
Shonrock’s application for the ESU presidency was not his first foray into moving up the administrative ladder.
He had been one of two finalists in 2009 for the presidency of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He withdrew his name from consideration and remained at Tech, according to SLU.
Shonrock has been a leader in the drive to increase enrollment at the Texas Tech.
According to the university’s website, Tech enrollment has risen by 26 percent over the past 10 years and is on course to reach the goal of 40,000 students by 2020.
Enrollment numbers for undergraduate, graduate and law degrees all set records this year, recording 26,063, 5,566 and 698 students, respectively.
Martin said he had been sorry to see Shonrock’s job eliminated.
“Believe me, that was not his fault,” Martin said. “I think what happened was that he did such a fantastic job, everything was running so well. ... I think he was a victim of his own success.”
Town and Gown
Martin described Shonrock as having been the “point person” for the Tech and city relationship. It’s a position that Martin said he already misses.
“I’ve never seen anybody in all these years anywhere that has had the ability to get town and gown all together, to work together and head off problems like Michael,” Martin said. “I miss him in that role already because, quite frankly, you never know who you’re talking with. You don’t have those personal relationships.”
Shonrock and Martin had worked together on a variety of campus-community needs, including a bus-service contract to provide extra bus service for students and on student-life issues.
“He was very, very good in getting the student population to realize their responsibility as good citizens here while they were going to school,” Martin said. “Quite frankly, before his tenure in that role, we had some rather contentious times with student groups that were involved in non-stop partying and disturbances in the city. During his tenure, that came to an end.”
Martin appreciated Shonrock’s involvement as a volunteer in the Lubbock community, saying Shonrock’s professional and personal commitment had been “a very good thing, for not only the university but for the city.”
Leadership in
Lubbock
“I have quite extensive experience with him both on the campus level and the city of Lubbock,” said Eddie McBride, president of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. “... He and I go pretty far back.”
McBride and Shonrock served together on the steering committee for Leadership Lubbock’s traditional adult leadership program. Then, they took it a step further.
“He and I helped devise a similar leadership program for college students,” McBride said.
The professor acted as mentor to McBride and to graduate and undergraduate students, and was vice chairman of the chamber.
Shonrock also led Lubbock’s United Way campaign and was involved in a “pageantry and pride” program, trying to enhance football week and game-day experiences and bring more community members to the campus to take part in activities.
Shonrock also managed to engage his staff members and students in activities and volunteering in the community.
“He’s a futurist and a strategic planning expert,” McBride said. “One of the comments that I’ve made, one of them that I feel very comfortable with, is Michael is one of the best gown-and-town relationship-builders that I have worked with on the Texas Tech University campus.”
McBride said that while he did not want Shonrock to leave Texas Tech and Lubbock, he believes Shonrock is suited for a job as university president, whether that is in Emporia or elsewhere.
“There is something that I know he is destined to do at some point in his life, because he is that good,” McBride said. “I’ve got a bittersweet opinion about all this. I wish the best for him.”