Fell looks back on 'human connection' of UF leadership

FINDLAY — The world of higher education presents challenges as well as opportunities. But looking back on the past 16 years, Katherine Fell is full primarily of good memories. "So many little moments, right?," said Fell, who retires on June 30 as president of the University of Findlay. She said retirement brings with it "a mixed set of emotions". She is looking forward to spending time with her family, which includes 10 grandchildren and another on the way. They live in several states, so Fell and her husband, Roger, plan to divide their time between Findlay and Sugar Land, Texas, each of which is in driving distance of some of the family. She also plans to devote more time in retirement to reading and to her own writing. But, she said, she will be keeping up with the happenings in higher education. The field is going through a transformation. At a time when more career opportunities are available that don't require a four-year degree, and student debt is a growing concern, fewer students are graduating high school and heading right to college. Additionally, demographic changes mean there are fewer teenagers making that decision at all than there once were. Fell noted that many small, private institutions are struggling as they grapple with this. She said it makes sense that students may be seeking an apprenticeship out of high school, where they can learn on the job. She worries, however, that some students may graduate high school and not have much of a plan in place at all. Fell noted that these days, more flexible higher education opportunities are available at any age, with more and more people choosing to go to college part-time on weekends while working. "We don't all have to follow the same path," she said. During Fell's tenure, UF added several graduate programs and strengthened its programs in the health professions. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer students have been going into these fields, Fell noted. More recently, though, UF has seen interest grow and more students choosing to study health professions. She added that the needs of students and of employers have continued to change. "The world doesn't stand still," she said. Most recently, she noted, there has been a growing need for employees with AI and data analytics skills. Fell said AI can be a very powerful and useful tool, though it can also be abused. She said that as universities prepare students for the changing world of work, they need to remember students will need to learn to use AI well and appropriately — but also need to be able to talk to other humans face to face, not only to their devices. "They still need all the old skills: empathy, communication, discourse," she said. "But they need new skills, as well." Fell has seen the traditional liberal arts majors become less popular as students worry they will not lead to jobs. However, at the same time, corporate leaders continually say they need employees who are skilled in writing, listening and communicating — skills often learned in liberal arts classes. She said this fascinates her, "because I'm really an English major, hanging out in the president's office." Indeed, Fell, who began her own higher education journey with a bachelor of science in education in English, had not imagined herself as the president of a university. "I saw myself as a teacher," she said. She did teach English between her master's degree and her doctorate, then continued to teach as a professor at Centenary College, Shreveport, Louisiana. There, she also became involved in fundraising and other administrative roles, eventually becoming chief development officer. She noted that studying English — along with her work in linguistics and speech — can take a person in a variety of directions. All of these roles have been meaningful and valuable in helping her in her leadership roles, although she noted that "maybe being the mother of six children has been the most valuable." Fell said UF is known as being founded in the Christian faith and, while closely affiliated with the Churches of God, General Conference, also committed to "welcoming all." She said some church-affiliated schools make it clear that they expect students, faculty and staff to agree with the tenets of their faith. At UF, "we don't need or require people to agree. We just need them to be respectful and learn from one another." She said this was among the things that attracted her to UF in the first place, and she has appreciated the commitment by everyone involved to "teach civil discourse among people who disagree about religion and politics and almost everything else." During the pandemic, UF was part of a network of private institutions that were in close contact with Gov. Mike DeWine's office. "On a Thursday, we announced we would be going virtual the following Monday," Fell recalled. The university had just hired a vice president for advancement, who ended up working from home his first day. "We also had a number of international students who couldn't get home," Fell said. She said it was a challenging time in higher education, but she was grateful for support from state officials and other educational institutions. Looking back on the proposed merger with Bluffton University, Fell said she is glad both institutions pursued these discussions, even if they ultimately did not proceed with a merger. "Both campuses learned a great deal," she said. She said other ways to partner with one another grew out of those conversations. For example, if Bluffton's students need a course that is only available at UF, or vice versa, they have made it easier for students to take classes at the other institution. Fell said they found that there were many other ways to partner without a full-blown merger. Community leaders outside the university have credited Fell with strengthening the town-gown relationship. "A university cannot survive as an island. There is no ivory tower," she said. "We need the community. The community needs us." As one example, she said, students need sites to complete internships. But the entire community — including K-12 schools, businesses and nonprofit organizations — is stronger when we engage with one another, she said. Fell stressed that these relationships with the community have long been a part of UF, and faculty and staff throughout the university are committed to this. For her personally, though, Findlay has been an easy place to build relationships. "Findlay's been very friendly and warm and helpful to Roger and me," she said. She said they have made close friends in the area, and plan to remain here part-time. Fell said she was impressed with how Findlay welcomed the university's international students, particularly those from Japan. "I took this as an indication that this is a small city but not a small-minded people," she said. Fell's time at UF has also included serving on local and regional boards. She is chair of the Findlay-Hancock County Alliance Board of Directors, a founding member of the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, vice chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio, and vice chair of the Presidents' Council of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Universities face challenges, including with the physical campus itself. Fell said there have been times when snow, water or ice got inside a building, which needed repair suddenly over the holiday break. "We have a great team and they took care of it," but these things can happen, she said. But, while higher education does have its challenges, Fell primarily is finding herself looking back on "the human connection that makes this job wonderful." She said she has watched many faculty, staff and students "overcome difficulty and thrive. Those stories are why we're here." Fell said UF will be in good hands under the incoming president, Richard Ludwick. "I think the university will continue to thrive," she said.