The press release noted that Van Horn’s vision for Jewell’s future emphasized “personalized education rooted in the liberal arts and humanities, aimed at preparing students for successful careers and civic engagement in a constantly changing world.” His experience includes tenures as the president of Brevard College in North Carolina and Young Harris College in Georgia, both of which had or continue to have affiliations with the Methodist church.

It is not surprising that the Trustees have chosen Van Horn as interim president given the new direction of the College under the Reimagine Jewell initiative. Bill Gautreaux, chair of the Board of Trustees, noted that Van Horn’s “[unique] data driven results-oriented focus” would help the College “build on Jewell’s long history of academic excellence and student success.” It is unclear what emphasizing a “results-oriented focus” means at this time for programs and faculty, given cuts to both last year.

A New Direction

In an interview with Higher Education Digest, Van Horn outlined a myriad of policy outcomes for smaller private colleges that he believed would help them flourish. Two of his policy proposals are particularly relevant in viewing the way Van Horn will lead the College.

First, Van Horn emphasized that “[i]nstitutions must continue to identify low-producing majors and eliminate them from their offerings.” As Jewell thins its program offerings (having eliminated majors in International Relations, Mathematics, Oxbridge, Philosophy, Spanish, and Theatre this past year, among others), Jewell administration appears to have already emphasized identifying and removing “lower-producing majors” in an effort to reduce program spending.

Second, Van Horn emphasized that colleges, especially small private colleges, must “refocus the Boards, alumni, faculty, and staff on the mission of the institutions… focus on the type of student that [they] historically served and determine if this was still the mission for the institutions.” This includes, where necessary, “reducing the number of hours in the core curriculum” and changing the institution’s focus from core curriculum to double majors or certificates that enable student success, particularly in the workforce. As Jewell becomes more diverse and moves away from its Baptist roots, College administrators must decide whether to double down on Jewell’s historical mission or upend it.

No matter one’s feelings about Critical Thought and Inquiry (CTI) classes, it is clear that the Reimagine Jewell initiative, under the leadership of Van Horn, represents a significant shift for William Jewell College and its administration. Will Van Horn lead a shift out of exigency and toward a flourishing Jewell? Or will the College lose sight of the liberal arts emphasis that has caused its success for so long?

As usual, only time will tell.
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On Sept. 25, in a letter to the William Jewell College community, the new chair of the Board of Trustees, Bill Gautreaux, announced the results of the Board’s comprehensive evaluation of Dr. Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, president of the College. The email also stated ways in which the comprehensive evaluation feeds into initiatives prompted by a five-year Strategic Financial Plan.

In anticipation of the fifth year of Dr. MacLeod Walls’ collegiate presidency, the Board of Trustees conducted an evaluation of the president. The evaluation was led by Susan Chambers and Gary Barnes and took place between March and May of 2020. The Board interviewed 150 individuals, including trustees, faculty, staff, students, Cabinet members, Alumni Board of Governors and civic leaders in Kansas City.

These interviews indicated to the Board that there is a general sentiment of approval of and support for Dr. MacLeod Walls’ leadership. Specifically, Dr. MacLeod Walls was commended for her ability to remain positive in light of rather unprecedented challenges during her presidency, such as those posed by COVID-19.

Furthermore, the president has worked to elevate the status of William Jewell College in Kansas City in an attempt to combat declining enrollment rates and revenue. The president has also urged that the college adopt the principles of engagement, diversity, and in particular, radical inclusivity so that we can create a better and more appealing educational institution.

The interviews with the aforementioned 150 individuals indicated that there are three areas in particular which nevertheless still require attention: the first is that we must grow our student population, the second is that we must grow our revenue and the third is that we must reduce our cost structure.

In order to address these three areas, the Board of Trustees, in conjunction with efforts from the president and from specialized task forces appointed by the president, have created three initiatives.

1. Intentional promotion of inclusivity in our critical thinking community.
   In an effort to attract a greater diversity of students, the College is actively providing resources to support minority students, staff and faculty. The College is also working to create a learning community that is inclusive. 
2. Creating a market-responsive arm of the College for the purposes of audience and revenue stream diversification.
   Jewell plans on creating a market-responsive arm of the College that will focus on analyzing the market trends in education, such that we can attract more students by offering incentives including high school course accreditations and scholarships. 
3. Enhanced pricing model.
   The College plans on creating a pricing model that more accurately reflects the cost of Jewell and which takes into consideration the needs of families of incoming students. 

These three initiatives are tied to a five-year Strategic Financial Plan that is currently being developed by Joe Garcia and the Strategic Financial Planning Committee. This committee was created to deal with practical financial situations by analyzing the College’s current and future expenses and investments.

As the new chair of the Board of Trustees, Gautreaux hopes to “transform William Jewell by fostering access, inclusivity, and life-changing opportunities,” stated the email.

The comprehensive report on MacLeod Walls is useful to the promotion of these goals, as they help the president and the Board to be in a better position to approach their shared vision of a more vibrant Jewell community.