Visions, Actions, Engines

What drives MSU's new president?

by Carey Martin McLaughlin MAT '97

A sunny Saturday in early June, a day that finally felt like summer, had arrived. The search was over-the national search for the twelfth president of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dr. Richard Davenport had arrived at Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska, Minnesota, sixty miles north of campus.

Between house-hunting appointments Friday and Sunday in Mankato, Davenport had stopped Saturday morning in Chaska to officially meet and greet members of the MSU Foundation Board during their annual spring retreat. A few weeks earlier, at Central Michigan University where he had served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for twelve years, Davenport had received a farewell gift of bookends specially crafted by geology faculty from rocks known as banded iron formation-because Michigan and Minnesota, the inscription pointed out, "share the distinction of being the major producers of iron ore in the United States." The gift had delighted Davenport. He liked the idea of the link between Michigan and Minnesota, his present and his future. Now, the transition was underway. As MSU Foundation Board members broke from morning meetings, the conference room doors swung open. Dozens of alumni and friends filed in to join the session, taking side seats and standing behind the conference tables. MSU had invited several of the thousands of Twin Cities-area alumni and friends to Chaska for a sneak peek at the next leader of the second largest institution in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

What they got, first, was the chance to mingle with a man who looked them in the eye, remembered their names, spoke softly but with intention, and made them feel like he was really, truly glad to know them. Davenport mixed easily in and out of conversation circles. Mostly, he listened, taking in what others had to say. Weeks in advance he'd asked University staff to prepare background information on each of the guests-names, professions, graduation years, interests. Now, Davenport shook hands and matched faces to names and facts. The guests settled down to listen to his remarks knowing a few things for sure: They felt good. They felt proud. And they liked this leader.

"I've got big shoes to fill — good! It gives me a much bigger challenge."

What mainly attracted Davenport to MSU, he says, was its national reputation, its student population, "highly sophisticated initiatives" for the campus and external communities, and its overall remarkable potential for further growth and development. He commends former President Richard R. Rush for the University's numerous accomplishments under his leadership, and praises Senior Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Boubel for her leadership and productivity while serving as interim president in 2001-2002. Davenport says he was impressed with the continued development of the campus master plan by the facilities management department and campus leaders during the past year. He's also looking forward to developing a strong working relationship with Chancellor James H. McCormick and his staff at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System office, with hopes of enhancing MSU's image and increasing support for MSU.

Davenport also found personal significance in MSU-the institution he chose to lead after interviewing with other schools including the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Indiana University Southeast, Bridgewater State College, and the University of Arkansas, and turning down other presidential offers. Davenport says he instantly recognized the fit he had in MSU thanks in part to his earlier experiences in Minnesota. The Land of 10,000 Lakes happened to be the site of his fondest childhood memory-fishing with his grandfather in Worthington, where he caught his first Northern. (One of eleven children whose mother died when Davenport was eight, he spent a great deal of his childhood at his grandparents' Worthington home.) And even after twelve years of living in Michigan, Davenport says his family maintained their strong allegiance to Minnesota sports and couldn't allow themselves to cheer for the Detroit Lions, Pistons, or other Michigan professional teams. As he told The Free Press, "We're Vikings fans and always have been." He also jokes that the number twelve was a cue. When Davenport was twelve years old, he decided he wanted to be a college professor after spending time on the University of Nebraska campus with his brother-in-law, who was a graduate assistant at the time. Twelve years later, at twenty-four, he assumed his first faculty job at Iowa State University. And he had a twelve-year career at CMU before becoming the twelfth president of MSU.

Kidding aside, Davenport looked at the MSU community and saw a place where his concept of "the modern university"-and his vision for how to lead one-could improve the quality and reputation of an already strong institution. Personally, the position felt right. Professionally, he recognized an environment where he could do what he does best: establish partnerships, promote shared governance, focus on students and raise academic expectations. "It is my goal to work with others and to energize everyone so we can make things happen," he says.

"To be successful, one needs to be artful at solicitation and cultivation of internal and external constituencies to support the mission and priorities of the institution."

When he addressed the MSU Foundation Board of Directors, Davenport said there "isn't a college that doesn't have issues." He believes in the possibility of accomplishing greater goals through shared governance-which, at MSU, means five separate unions, each with distinctive bargaining processes. Davenport has experience in this kind of environment, and he knows what it takes to make it work. He says shared governance is only productive if university administrators clearly define roles for the decision-making process and develop a positive and inclusive environment that helps instill a sense of community. "Everyone is important and needs to genuinely feel as if their involvement matters," Davenport says.

Davenport also has a reputation for building bridges to the private sector. Prior to coming to MSU, he developed agreements with companies including Northwest Airlines, Marriott International, Dow Chemical Company, China Daily News, and Ford Motor Company. For example, he was instrumental in bringing faculty together with automotive design leaders to develop a vehicle design degree that has been touted as one of the most innovative of its kind and is the only one that exists in the United States. During Davenport's tenure as provost at CMU, he worked with faculty in developing five new doctoral programs, 25 master's programs and 20 undergraduate programs approved at the state level. He has a keen sense and understanding for market-oriented programs balanced with a strong commitment to liberal education. Davenport notes that today's employers want to hire graduates who can think critically, communicate effectively, adapt to the changing environment readily, be engaged in civic matters and bring a strong sense of values and work ethics to the job.

Davenport says the goal of raising academic expectations is important in K-12 and higher education today. "You can't simply raise entrance requirements and expect that more qualified students will naturally have higher learning expectations. We need to challenge our students and faculty to set the bar higher for learning and raise classroom standards for excellence," he says.

"Grade inflation has been on the rise during the past two decades and needs to be addressed. Therefore, the bigger challenge is raising the bar once students are in the door. It's about uniting faculty in the goal of increasing what's expected of students once they're on campus, as well as being accountable for learning outcomes measured by various student assessment strategies. We must improve our graduation and retention rates and recruit a more highly diverse population of students."

"I equate quality with excellence."

At CMU, Davenport helped improve retention rates by 10 percent and increased enrollment by 3,000 students over a four-year period through a variety of initiatives. The effort involved the entire campus coming together to revitalize existing programs, student services, study skills courses, advising services and two unique freshman programs. It also included development of the Summer Safari, an optional two-week intensive course where incoming students learn basic study skills and are encouraged to join a campus organization and participate in the Leadership Institute. In 2002-2003, one-third of 3,600 incoming freshmen signed up for the Institute. Participants will receive a certificate of completion in addition to their four-year degree. CMU students also have the opportunity to develop an activities transcript, an official document that accompanies the academic transcript and lists campus events attended, organizational participation, and volunteerism. These initiatives demonstrate an interest in the individual student and supplement classroom learning through enriching experiences. Davenport says activities like these helped energize the CMU campus.

"I want people to feel energized. For me, it's natural."

Besides striving to succeed in his career, Davenport wants others to enjoy and excel in their pursuits. He is a firm believer in "authentic positive reinforcement" and knows the importance of recognizing the accomplishments of others in a manner that is truthful and unreserved. He's not afraid to give credit where it's due.

That includes cheering on his wife, Sharlene, and their two children-Natalie, 30, and Ryan, 26. Sharlene, who he started dating as a high school senior in Grand Island, Nebraska, has "sacrificed for me and our family," he proudly says. He's also proud of their daughter, Natalie, an anthropologist currently working at a resort and doing archeological work in Lake Tahoe. She "lives to ski" and considers Minnesota her home, having attended public school in Winona. He counts his son, Ryan, among his heroes for his survival of a kidney transplant and two kidney rejections. Davenport says Ryan doesn't look back and doesn't falter, and thrives on new experiences. He's currently completing a graduate degree in anthropology, and has traveled to remote parts of the world to study and practice. Davenport says Ryan has been an excellent role model for other transplant recipients.

One of Davenport's own role models, his father, encouraged him to work hard and make his way in the world. When he learned of Davenport's plans to earn his degree, he asked, "Why would you want to leave a job with benefits and go to college?" At the time, the teenage Davenport was an assistant manager at a local grocery store. Despite his father's advice, Davenport began college in 1967 and by 1977 had earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska, Kearney, a master's degree in speech and hearing science from Colorado State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Iowa State University.

He works hard as a habit, but Davenport knows how to balance his professional pursuits with relaxation. Once he's settled in Mankato, Davenport hopes to resume his longtime involvement in buying and restoring antique cars. The Model A Roadster is his favorite vintage. He bought his first Model A after he spotted one parked in a field and fell in love with its look. Davenport drove up to the owner's house and struck a deal: $150 plus a way to haul it off the property. He showed up later with a trailer, took the Model A back home, and was surprised to find that it still ran. However, he began rebuilding its engine with the help of a faculty friend in St. Cloud who walked him through the rebuilding process over the phone, piece by piece. He finished the job, only to find that he'd installed one part incorrectly and had to re-do the job. "Re-do" he did, without missing a beat, and Davenport was hooked.

"I'm somewhat of a builder of things, people, reputations. . .I have always surrounded myself with the best. I hire people who are better than me in their fields and I'm not afraid to acknowledge them."

Davenport believes in "involving people right from the beginning," and plans to balance his own ideas with input from others. MSU, he says, "doesn't need fixing," so he's free to build on an already-strong foundation. He believes leadership entails involving others to help set the course, establishing clear expectations, and then providing a working environment where everyone can do their job and feel a part of the overall strategic plan. He says he intends to form a strong team of professionals to assist him in leading the institution. Micro management is not a concept Davenport promotes-he says it undermines professional growth and job satisfaction. He says the best ideas come from a group, and if people are excluded, "we are missing valuable input." With a team in place, ready with an "all frontal attack," Davenport plans to focus on enhancing and further developing MSU's internal and external reputation as a university on the move.

"I believe an educational leader must be able to articulate a vision, inspire and encourage others to support that vision, and transform it into a reality through decisive action."

Like any great educator and top-notch leader, Davenport is concerned with outcomes. From his role as a full professor in Winona, Minnesota to serving as the dean of a graduate school in Colorado to residing as second in command to the president at CMU, he's focused on outcomes and held himself to high standards.

But as Davenport transferred himself out of Michigan and into MSU, he hesitated to disclose any specific ideas about his plans for his first year. He understands the necessity of hearing each voice and making change only when the time is right. As he gets to know the campus and community, Davenport will work with his administrative cabinet and campus leaders to define three to five short-term goals that will become the focus of his administration. There are two things he does plan to do early in his presidency: seek new funding sources, and develop a plan to help MSU become more visible to the rest of Minnesota, the region, and hopefully, the nation.

In the sunny conference room in Chaska, Davenport ended his half-hour remarks by opening the floor for alumni and friends to explain their goals for MSU's future. Sandy Hey '68 commented on a need to improve the public 's perception of the kind of quality education students receive at MSU. Patricia Lloyd said she'd like to see relationships developed between the University and communities within southern Minnesota and Mankato itself. Starr Kirklin told Davenport that MSU is one of Minnesota's "best kept secrets," and that he'd like Davenport to let that secret out-to "tell the story." Davenport listened closely to the Board members, alumni, and friends, and indicated that his vision and theirs were already aligned.

That evening, in slightly more casual clothes and feeling like old friends, a core group of MSU Foundation Board members and guests gathered in Oak Ridge's glass-walled, sunken dining area for dinner and entertainment. Students from the MSU Department of Theatre and Dance performed selections from Camelot, and Davenport smiled and joked back and forth with Department Chair Paul Hustoles who introduced each song with a special dedication to MSU's new leader.

The next morning, in the same bright dining area, Davenport joined the group for breakfast before heading back to Mankato to resume his house-hunt. In just a month, his iron ore bookends would grace the Office of the President-yet he'd already seen more than 30 houses and not yet found the right one. But nobody was anxious, certainly not Davenport. Like his beloved Model A and his new University, the right house would turn up-and he'd know it when he saw it.

Carey Martin McLaughlin is a writer and teacher. She is a regular contributor to TODAY.