What does it take to run St. Michael's?
Current president, department representatives offer opinions on what the job requires

Ryan Lowell | staff editor
rlowell@smcvt.edu

Last week’s campus visits gave St. Michael’s personnel the first look at the three presidential candidates, and now the board of trustees will begin to make its big decision. But as current President Marc vanderHeyden can inform you, when it comes to finding a successful St. Michael’s president, lots of variables are involved.

Eleven years of experience

President Marc vanderHeyden is in his 11th year of service at St. Michael's. (Echo archive)

vanderHeyden says that good presidents can take advice from the strong and capable people around them, but that they also know when they need to make a decision on their own.

“It is important to listen,” vanderHeyden says. “But it is also important to have the courage not to listen, and to do what you think is necessary. You must be a voice that explains and articulates what the school is about with a great deal of passion.”

Athletics Director Geri Knortz says the next president must consider the opinions of the St. Michael’s community.

“We need a visionary,” Knortz says. “Someone who has a passion for St. Michael's. Someone who can work with all of the important stakeholders, from students, to faculty and staff.”

vanderHeyden cites a good relationship with students as one of the top priorities of the position as well. He says he always eats lunch in the dining hall so he can meet with the individuals he represents. Staying in touch with students and faculty helps the president gain insight on what things are working well, and what could use improvement, according to vanderHeyden.

“As the president, people expect you to love the institution where you work, and the people you are working for,” he says. “And you also must have a strong desire to improve things.”

But looking out for the well-being of the entire school can be difficult, as the interests of various departments around campus must be balanced. For instance, Knortz says she hopes the new president will be someone who has knowledge and experience about the broader issues related to athletics, and can help analyze the goals and direction of the department in general.

“No one thing is the most important,” Knortz says. “We need someone to take a look at where we are, and where we need to be, and someone who will put athletics in with the bigger picture.”

Jason Moore of the mobilization of volunteer efforts (MOVE) office says it is important for MOVE that the new president continues to support service learning trips.

“We’re hoping for more attention toward investment for service learning,” Moore says. “We’re hoping for support in various ways, including financial.”

Kathleen Balutansky, associate dean for academic affairs, notes that positive character traits are also an important quality for the job.

“Other than the obvious; an understanding of the academic and financial needs of the college, and strong leadership in those areas," Balutansky says. “I’d look for wisdom, intellectual depth, and a fine sense of humor.”

The presidency is a full-time job… on campus

The presidential position is one that cannot be quantified on an hourly basis, as vanderHeyden says that he has countless duties to attend to every day on campus.

“There are lots of meetings with cabinets, vice presidents and different staff and faculty groups,” vanderHeyden says. “You also deal with forward thinking issues on campus. You must spend a considerable amount of time going over the architecture of new buildings such as Pontigny Hall.”

Aside from planned meetings, unplanned crises often arise and need immediate attention, vanderHeyden says.

“They are often related to personnel issues,” vanderHeyden says. “They could be related to students in trouble, a terrible tragedy hitting the campus, the death of a student; the list is infinite.”

He says that due to constantly arising issues on campus, he must make a conscious effort to set aside time if he wishes to acutally take a break.

“If you want free time or need free time, you have to plan it into your schedule,” he says. “Otherwise it’s a twenty-four/seven job."

…And off

Those duties may seem like more than enough to keep the St. Michael’s president busy, but vanderHeyden also says a major chunk of the job description includes off-campus relations.

“It’s very hard to generalize, but substantial time is spent off campus,” he says. “There is a lot of travel time in terms of visiting alumni and prospective benefactors.”

He also says he invests considerable time in the local boards that he is a member of. Some of these boards include the Vermont Higher Education Council (VHEC), which is a board that represents the different regions in Vermont education, and the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC), of which he is currently president.

“We look out for the private interests of the Vermont college,” he says.

He also says the president must meet with any other off campus group that St. Michael’s wants to develop good terms with, such as Vermont Campus Compact, a non profit organization that puts emphasis on community service based programs like MOVE.

“There are hundreds of organizations that want a relationship with St. Michael’s,” he says, also noting that ultimately, much of the responsibility of the success of these relationships lies in the president’s hands.

“You must be aware that you are the face and the image of the institution," vanderHeyden says. "People think of St. Michael’s when they meet with you.”