Trustees reaffirm support for college leadership and transformative vision
May 8, 2024
At a special meeting Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the Roanoke College Board of Trustees passed a resolution supporting college leadership’s vision and efforts to transform the college.
Roger Petersen, chair of the Trusteeship Committee, said trustees wanted to clearly convey the board’s support of President Frank Shushok, administration, and faculty and staff, who are taking innovative measures to strengthen the college during a difficult period for small liberal arts schools nationwide.
“It’s important that the college community understands that the board supports the goals of the college and the direction we are moving in,” Petersen said. “We are unified in our support.”
Board Chair Malon Courts thanked trustees for their unanimous support.
“The landscape of higher education is shifting fast, and it’s imperative that we be bold and resolute in our focus on student success,” Courts said. “Dr. Shushok, his leadership team, faculty and employees across divisions are finding innovative ways to elevate Roanoke College to ensure we are providing students with engaging and transformative learning experiences. This statement crystallizes our support.”
The board acknowledged that colleges across the United States are facing multiple issues, including an ‘enrollment cliff’ caused by decreasing birth rates; public scrutiny about the cost and value of a college education; the need to support faculty and staff through appropriate compensation and benefits; the rising cost of services, food and repairs; and rapid technological changes impacting teaching and learning.
The college has taken many bold steps to address these challenges, including introducing new academic programs and new partnerships with Virginia Tech, Virginia Western and William & Mary to provide degree pathways; breaking ground on the Science Center project to cultivate transformative learning experiences; starting a football, competitive cheerleading and marching band program that is expanding access; and starting a lab school, which will prepare local high school students for college. Additionally, the college has begun strategic planning and has created a shared governance task force.
In the resolution, the board expressed that Roanoke must continue to evolve expeditiously to meet the needs of today’s students. They encouraged faculty and staff to be a part of the solution.
“Achieving these goals while dealing with financial constraints and challenges in the academic environment will take great effort and demand courage and flexibility by all of the constituents at the college,” the resolution stated.
Trustees also reaffirmed their support for Roanoke’s five strategic goals and praised the “significant progress” being made toward them. Those goals are:
- Foster student success and well-being
- Cultivate academic innovation and transformative learning experiences
- Promote a culture of administrative, financial and operational excellence
- Advance access, diversity, inclusion and belonging
- Elevate Roanoke College’s distinctiveness
The board will convene for its regular fall meeting Oct. 24-25, 2024.