CHSBS Dean candidate Richard Rothaus looks for input from CMU faculty
CHSBS dean candidate Richard Rothaus speaks in the Bovee University Auditorium on April 26.
Richard Rothaus believes there should be a group approach to discussing and deciding budget cuts when needed.
"Richard, are you suggesting an administrator could ask for the input or ideas of faculty?" asked psychology department faculty Neil Christiansen, laughing.
"I've heard rumors that it is possible," Rothaus said, responding to the continued laughter in the audience.
Rothaus, vice chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs of the North Dakota University System, is one of three candidates in the running for dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences. During forum in the Bovee University Center Auditorium on April 26, he expressed support for Central Michigan University's liberal arts emphasis, relayed his history in fundraising and discussed concern for college readiness in high school students with the audience.
Rothaus said trying to explain his support for a liberal arts education would be "preaching to the choir," so instead he explained how he pitches the concept to legislators and to students.
"Here's what we know about liberal arts majors," Rothaus said after his pitches. "Their income after graduation is terrible, terrible, terrible... (then) it shoots up. Because what liberal arts majors are trained to do is not to be the employee, they're trained to be the boss."
History faculty member Jay Martin was also concerned about income, but for the university.
"One of the key components of (funding the university) is fundraising," he said, and asked Rothaus to relay his experience with raising funds from outside the university.
Rothaus said his first fundraising experience allowed him to help raise $5 million for Saint Cloud State University's initial capital campaign. Now, however, he said he has goals to raise $25 million.
"One thing I haven't had the chance to talk to anyone about today is relationships with high schools," Rothaus said. "One thing I'm throwing fits about in North Dakota is high schools sending students to college who are not prepared for college-ready work. I don't really know how that's going in Michigan."
Martin said the university has programs in place that work with local and regional schools to promote college readiness.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work Chair Rachel Caspari referenced the department's youth studies program.
"The capstone experience for (students) involves working with Mount Pleasant public schools," she said. "These students are paired with particular mentees who receive basically a year of mentoring."
Caspari said an offshoot of the program allows Native American students to work with students within the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. She said these programs are only part of the outreach the university participates in.
Rothaus is the final of three candidates to speak this week. He is vying for the CHSBS dean position alongside Interim Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University Robert Matz and Associate Dean and Professor of Sociology within the College of Letters and Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Franklin Goza.
