Q and A with President-designate George Ross

Editor’s Note: Senior Reporter Amelia Eramya participated in a conference call with CMU President-designate George Ross after his appointment in December. The following is an excerpt of some of the questions Ross was asked.

Amelia Eramya: You led the creation of the CMU Promise and, since, you said you that you wanted to focus on students in this economic situation that we’re currently going through. Do you have any hopes of returning the CMU Promise or creating another project similar to it?

George Ross: I can’t speak specifically to the Promise or whether it will be back. It was something that we did because we saw a need to try and bring some financial stability to households. The economy itself, not only in this state, but across the country, just made it financially difficult to continue it, but I think it was a great thing to do while we had it.
We started the Promise in 2005, so there will be students here paying that 2005 tuition rate. With all of that said, yes, we’re going to look at innovative ways to mitigate tuition costs to our students. But at the same time, we’re under the reality that two major financial sources are tuition and state appropriation.
There’s going to be pressure, frankly, on tuition because state appropriations are not going to increase. Within my administration, we’re going to look at innovative ideas and approach to control tuition costs and to increase our student aid.

AE: Former President Michael Rao and interim President Kathy Wilbur have held student forums where students can ask questions and raise concerns about issues on campus. Are you planning on holding open forums for students as well?

GR: I will make myself available to students, staff, alumni, community leaders, business leaders, and legislators. I will make myself available to deal with all the major constituents of the university. And my number one constituents are the students, so yes.

Amy Robinson, (CMU Public Radio): Could you give us a sense of some of your top priorities, your first hundred days kind of thing? What are some of the priorities that you will be looking at when you take over as president in March?

GR: Well, there are some procedural things that develop with the priorities that are on my mind right now that I’m working through, but there are a number of opportunities here at Central right now … I think it’s critically important that we solidify the provost position. Dr. Shapiro has done an excellent job as interim, but we need to solidify the permanent provost position. There are several dean spots that will be high on my list to fill, too.
As we look at positions and build a team, I have to be tested that I am conscious of the fact that we’re still dealing with difficult time in Michigan. Currently, the budget advisory group on campus is in the process of reviewing the budget. They’re looking at budget efficiencies and brand new alternatives. I hope to receive those recommendations soon after I arrive here next March, so that will be high on the list.
I’d also like to mention that the student planning committee at Central Michigan basically has suspended its operation sometime in the summer, maybe early fall, pending the naming of a new president. And we have to get that started up again.

AR: At the board meeting yesterday, they made the comment that in all of your administrative posts so far, you also have carved out the time to teach. Are you planning to continue that here at Central?

GR: I think initially, the first couple years given all of the other pressure, it’s not practical that I would be teaching. I would love to have the opportunity to give lectures the first couple years. If I do it right, and do what I’m supposed to do as President here, I can hope and vision some years down the road to be in a classroom at Central again and have a class but not initially. I love teaching, I love the power, more importantly, I love students learning, I love the power of what that does. That will be a personal goal of mine to get back in the classroom one day. It will be a while.