DEC 12, 2024 | NEWS | By Tessa Frantz
It’s week three of Block 4, and the fall semester is coming to a close. It’s a time of reflection and looking forward to next semester. It’s also the fifth month of President Manya Whitaker’s term as interim president.
“My [goals] haven’t shifted. They may have reprioritized as I learn more and hear more or since we have a new president coming into the White House.”
In light of the November election, Whitaker intends to avoid conflict by providing space for emotion.
“I’ve learned that the most successful way to let people feel what they need to feel, to be in community with the people they choose, and I know we’ll come back rested after winter break as a cohesive community, just ready to move forward.”
She imagines potential issues with study abroad and housing could arise but maintains that being proactive can prevent major issues.
Whitaker has been president for just short of a semester and has faced both personal and administrative challenges in her role. She said that her biggest challenge has been “adjusting to a really robust travel schedule.” Whitaker previously worked a desk job in administration for three years. Now, she is on the road for a third of every month, engaging with alums, parents, potential students and other leaders in higher education.
But she explains that while the shift in lifestyle has been difficult, engaging with students gives her energy.
“I want to be surrounded by students, I love it,” she said.
Whitaker said that she eats at Rastall Dining Hall once a week and tries to attend as many athletic events as possible.
Whitaker said her main challenge on the administrative side was the disconnect in information and understanding between the administration and the rest of the CC community.
“This isn’t necessarily students; it’s staff, faculty, a board and alums, helping them understand how decisions are made at the college,” she said.
This concern isn’t an issue that CC faces alone. Whitaker contends that, in general, higher education institutions experience miscommunication regarding how decisions are made. “It’s ubiquitous that there’s a lot of concern about top-down decision-making and a lack of shared governance, which is a hallmark, particularly of a liberal arts education,” she said.
The solution, Whitaker said, is to ask for clarity. She encourages members of the CC community to ask who is making what decisions.
“Part of the reason people are confused is that different leaders across the years share different amounts of information, so it’s just unclear from year to year what’s happening.”
During her presidency, Whitaker emphasized that besides the personal information of administrators, there are no secrets. She specifically mentioned transferring information online as a priority. On the CC website, the Office of Information Technology contains a chart detailing the leadership governance structure. The administration will roll out more information on the website this Spring.
Improving communication isn’t the only goal the administration is focusing on at the moment. According to Whitaker, there is a continuous effort to make both physical and online infrastructure more efficient.
“We’re looking at stewarding all of our resources more efficiently and effectively. So that is money of course, but also time and space.”
According to a recent space utilization study, CC does not use its student spaces as efficiently as it could. Whitaker cited Worner Community Center as an example of inefficient space use. “In the mornings [academic spaces] are full, and in the afternoons, they’re not.”
There is also a movement to improve CC’s online infrastructure and switch over to more user-friendly technology. The switch from Banner is one of many attempts to streamline processes and simplify procedures.
“CC has not always kept up with the latest technology, and we’re about 20 years behind,” she said.
CC offices have repeatedly felt the repercussions of inefficient technology.
“I talk to the president’s council about this all the time. Housing comes up every year, especially since the housing process changes every year to make it better. I don’t always know that we achieve that. I know the team tries its best, as they are this year.”
With consistent housing issues arising, Whitaker attributes them to a lack of adequate data and the fact that housing crises are challenging when students are actively living on campus. “We have not historically done a great job at record keeping, data governance, data sharing and using analytics,” she said.
Whitaker has continuously emphasized the importance of social events in rebuilding CC culture post-COVID-19. She’s noticed that since the isolation of COVID-19, campus culture is taking a positive turn.
“We’re starting to get back to that sense of community that is the core of our kind of institutional personality,” she said.
She mentioned a spring campus event which will take place on Feb. 7, though the nature of the event is not confirmed.
With the spring semester around the corner, Whitaker emphasizes the importance of reflection on the fall semester.
“It really is about learning from what happened in the fall in terms of our strategic priorities and refining our approaches forward,” she said.
She maintains that communicating with the CC community about what these strategic goals and metrics of success are is of utmost importance.
Looking ahead, President Whitaker is excited and ready for the spring semester. But in the meantime, she admits she is ready to enjoy the break.
“I’m going to sleep.”