In his first academic year as president of Drury University, David Manuel is addressing issues facing higher education, chief among them employer needs and student requirements for securing a spot in the workplace.
The executive with an economics background is well-equipped for the task. Manuel, who moved to Springfield in May, brings with him experience as chancellor and professor of economics at Louisiana State University-Alexandria; dean at B.I. Moody College of Business at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette; and a faculty member with the UL-Lafayette College of Business Administration.
Manuel sat down this morning with Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson as part of the monthly 12 People You Need to Know editorial series at Hilton Garden Inn.
Top of mind for Manuel and staff is to communicate the value higher education can provide, particularly a degree backed with liberal arts.
"I think one of the real difficulties today in higher ed is that we're not able to articulate the value proposition very well, and we've been under attack for that," Manuel said. "The better we can control our costs, the more sustainable we can become, we can help translate that part for families and employers and say, 'Indeed, we provide value for what you want and what you need in your own professions and in your own businesses.'"
Manuel pointed to research by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, which has put out feelers to determine the outcomes businesses, employers, parents and students are seeking. Value for various stakeholders, Manuel said, is articulated by communicating what employers expect from graduates. He boils value down to the fact that undergraduate degrees are necessary but not sufficient.
"We want people who can think critically, who can interact with a variety of cultures, who can navigate through a global community, who can appreciate the sense of place of wherever it is they're working and contributing to society," Manuel said. "Employers are very clear that those are top priorities."
Student enrollment has waned at Drury along with other universities nationwide, as students head back into the job market. At roughly 4,600 students, head count at Drury is down about 600 this fall compared to a year ago.
"That's part of the yin and the yang of higher ed, unfortunately," Manuel said, noting nontraditional students are typically more subject to the ups and downs of the job market. "As economic conditions improve, as people are more gainfully employed, the less likely that they will return to school for a degree. On the other hand, when there's a downturn, more people go back to school to try to get new skills and attain new professional levels. That's not uncommon, and we will continue to see that."
Drury's enrollment is a 50/50 split, drawing a line in the sand between full-time, day-school students and full-time-equivalent nontraditional students, Manuel said.
Another challenge he faces is building an endowment that took a hit in the recession. Currently at $80 million, Manuel said a campaign would center on those funds.
"I don't think we've done benchmark calculations as to maybe what our endowment should be per student," Manuel said, noting a good endowment level is, simply, "More."[[In-content Ad]]
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.
