Leaders on Leadership featuring Dr. Loren Blanchard, President of the University of Houston-Downtown

Episode Transcript

Jay Lemons:

Hello, and thank you for listening. I’m Jay Lemons. Welcome to Leaders on Leadership, brought to you by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute. The purpose of our podcast is to share the stories of the people and forces that have shaped leaders in higher education, and to learn more about their thoughts on leadership in the academy.

Really delighted today to be joined by Loren Blanchard. Loren is the president of the University of Houston-Downtown, a post he assumed earlier this year in March. He previously served as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs of the California State University system, and as provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Xavier University in New Orleans. He also held leadership positions at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and within the University of Louisiana system.

Loren himself is a first generation college graduate earning a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology Education from Xavier, a master’s degree in Education from McNeese State and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. It’s been my great pleasure to get acquainted with Loren after several of his colleagues from the California State University System raised him up for me as a leader to watch. He quickly became truly one of those colleagues I felt I’ve known for years, and I’m so pleased to call him a friend, and I’m thrilled for both Loren and the University of Houston-Downtown for his becoming their new president. He’s an incredible educational leader with a burning passion for student success. Loren, it’s my happy pleasure to welcome you to Leaders on Leadership.

Loren Blanchard:

Thank you so much, Jay. I feel the exact same way. I’m thrilled to be here and great to see you again.

Jay Lemons:

It is good to have a reason to be together and may we all find our way back to some normality as we continue to live with and adapt to this pandemic, but may our paths cross out there in our travels in the months ahead. So-

Loren Blanchard:

I’ll claim it as such.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah. Loren, one of our goals for the program is to really ask leaders to step back and stop, reflect. Think about your own pathway, your own journey. And frankly, I do that with a hope and a great confidence that others will be inspired. I’d love for you to share your story, maybe about the people or the events, the opportunities that have forged you into the person you are, and to talk about your journey in higher education as it’s unfolded to this point.

Loren Blanchard:

Well, thank you for that question and thank you for the opportunity to reflect back, especially as it relates to where I sit now. I mean, as President of the University of Houston-Downtown and all of the other professional experiences that I’ve been afforded throughout my 30-year history in higher education. And I have to tell you that automatically in my mind, it just takes me all the way back to my childhood, if you don’t mind.

Jay Lemons:

No. I love it. Again, I think, Loren, I’m so appreciative if you’re going there. We don’t take enough time to go back. And again, this is where common paths emerge and future generations of leaders and students I know are going to be touched by your story. So please.

Loren Blanchard:

Well, the reality is that you mentioned that I am first generation college student or college graduate. And oftentimes, my parents who were the most amazing beings, caring, giving everything that I deserved or everything that I wanted, they believed that I deserved. And so they made every sacrifice possible to ensure that I would get it. A lot of that even tied in with education because they believed wholeheartedly as parents of the civil rights era that education really was the pathway to advancement, and that although they had not been college educated, they wanted to do everything within their power to make sure that I would be, because they believe that their lives should be the gauge for what my life should have been like, meaning that they wanted my life to be better than theirs.

And it was always weird, Jay, because growing up, I never thought that life was also bad, right? Everything seemed just fine, especially with all the sacrifices at that point, I didn’t really understand or embrace. But as I grew older, I did realize all the sacrifices they were making to ensure that my life circumstances would be different than theirs.

And then thirdly, what I learned a great deal from them is that they found ways to put people in front of me that would somehow influence or shape my life. And because oftentimes they felt like they couldn’t deliver in ways because they had not been college educated, and so they wanted to put other people who were college educated right before me. Now, some of it was in the form of my cousins who were my tutors in elementary and middle school. Many of them actually became educators. Told them that’s because I gave them such a rough go that they were toughened up and they were able to become teachers themselves. But in addition to that, they found ways to put other professionals, especially black professionals in the community, in my path, and that they often became mentors as well.

And so when I think about philosophically, my understanding around student success, I really can tie it back to some of the exact kinds of strategies, if you will. I don’t know if they… My parents would call them strategies, but they thought to be important to make sure that I could be successful and that some of those hold true today as well. When you hear about the whole piece about my life being better than theirs, I mean, that really speaks a whole lot about social mobility and everything that we do to try to make sure that students really can not only climb the socioeconomic ladder, but also making improvements in the lives of others, that that really stands at the forefront of what we really want to achieve through a college education.

In addition to that, you know how important mentoring is. You know how important academic support is. And so all of those were key elements that I gained as a young person going all the way out through high school that really became ingrained in me in such a way that I believe today really served as hallmarks for what I believe to be important to any student success agenda.

Now, there are other elements as well that I’m sure that we’re going to talk through before our conversation ends today. But if I had to really think hard about why I believe student support and student success are two of the most important traits that anyone, are two of the most important undertakings that any university and most important university president must really believe and know and live and breath every day. That is something that just was embedded in me from when I was a young kid all the way up to now, and it really does pay off substantially in understanding the impact that’s made on the lives of young people who then go on to become torchbearers for change in their communities and in their professions.

Jay Lemons:

No question. Thank you for taking us back. Those perspectives and those qualities, no doubt are deeply rooted in who you are. And I am certain that you do bring that perspective to work every day. And your new colleagues are probably, I hope rejoicing in having a leader with that sensibility. The past year and a half have been unusual, incredibly difficult-

Loren Blanchard:

To say the least.

Jay Lemons:

… pressure on leaders. Really unprecedented in our lifetime. But I’m mindful that this is not the first time you’ve had to live through a crisis.

Loren Blanchard:

Yes.

Jay Lemons:

And to help lead through chaos and recovery. And I’m really referencing your experiences at Xavier and Hurricane Katrina. It’s also, we’ve also had other… We stand here. We’re actually recording this in the days before the 20th anniversary of 9/11. I’d love for you just to talk a little bit about what you have gleaned and what you have used as your own touchstones for living through and leading in crisis.

Loren Blanchard:

Yeah. And then of course, we have the pandemic here as well, right? So first and foremost, I think in my mind, is understanding the importance of being a flexible, nimble leader, and really reflecting that in the way that you lead. And then serving as a model, not only for your direct reports in terms of vice presidents, but to really find a way that that nimbleness, if you will, can permeate throughout the campus so that there isn’t this real sense of panic that can easily evolve, especially when you’re right in the heart of a crisis, or let’s say like an active shooter situation where you don’t have a whole lot of time to really think, but that you really do know that you’ve got to take quick action and you’ve got to be flexible.

So the nimbleness piece, even for the longer haul, be it for a pandemic, be it for a hurricane, be it for an earthquake, I’ve been through all of those, it’s just really important to understand the nature of knowing that you’ve got to move into swift action and that you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for an entire campus community, and how important that is.

Secondly, I think most importantly is advanced preparation for all different types of crisis, right? And I’m sure that you’ve heard many other presidents say this, that having those kinds of drills and practices really pay off in the long run because then you really know what it actually does take. I know that for instance, when I was at Xavier, that if there was a hurricane on the way, we had a list, we’d put together a list of things that we would have to make sure that every person would have to take care of, be it the student, be it the staff member, be it the faculty member in terms of not only their offices, but in terms of their classes, in terms of their technology, you name it. Everything was just laid out. There was a checklist. And that we would every semester go back and make changes to it, because every time we would learn something different that we didn’t think of before, we would add it to it.

And how helpful that becomes, because you’re in this mindset of the impact that this potentially could have for you and for your family. And that you don’t often think about all the things that you need to get done in order to make your workspace as safe as it can be before you actually leave, and making sure that you have all the instructions in place for students as well, so that they know what to do. So that advanced preparation and having notes and making sure that people know what needs to occur, that becomes important.

And then clear, consistent, regular communications. Once the disaster has occurred, there’s nothing worse than people to feel like they’re out of touch, right? And so we’ve got to make sure that we know how to be in communication with those individuals who likely have evacuated to all parts of the United States, but they still are a part of your community and they want to feel that they’re a part of your community. And so we’ve got to make sure that we have a very clear and regular communication system planned out and that they know exactly what that system is going to be before they even leave.

And so while we are trying to make outreach to them, especially if they’re in an area where they’re challenged because of wifi service or whatever the case is, there is some other kind of pathway that they can use in order to at least let us know that they’re okay and that they’re having challenges for the technology so we can help them there.

And then when I say communication, it’s both ways, right, because you want the output in making sure that you’re delivering regular information, but you also want the input, right, and not only from the people that you serve within the community, but the input from the local legislators, the local health agencies, the local emergency folks, everything that you need to know, because a lot of these individuals are relying on us even to push that information out to them so that they can know what’s happening more in general within the area that has been impacted.

Those are just a few nuggets, but the main thing as well is making sure that you make people know how much they are cared for, and that it really is in the midst of everything, and even if it’s a hurricane or if it’s an earthquake, and if it’s a wildfire, and you’ve lost all of your belongings, that yes, we mourn that with you, but we know that there will be another day and that things will be better, and that we’re here to help you to get to that better stage.

Jay Lemons:

Wonderful. Wonderful words of wisdom and a really rich set of touchstones. So thank you. I’ve already spoken a bit about this, you have as well, student success and leading those initiatives to try and strengthen retention and good academic progress, and ultimately, the measure of improved graduation rates. Talk a little bit about your philosophy and maybe a little bit about the work that you’ve done that’s really aimed at strengthening the success of our students and reducing equity gaps and working to help students understand the dream and the possibility of social mobility, all while also making a contribution to meeting the workforce needs of our communities.

Loren Blanchard:

You’re absolutely right. I mean, everything that you’ve just mentioned has been the cornerstone of the work that I’ve been doing within different communities, especially with underrepresented student populations in various settings. It’s certainly what drew me here to University of Houston-Downtown, where 50% of our students are Hispanic, are Latinx students. 25% of our students are African American. And we have a large population as well of Asian students, and the fact that we are designated as the most diverse university in the south. And so that’s a draw, but what’s even more a draw is that we’ve got a very high percentage, it’s about 40% of our students who are first generation students.

Loren Blanchard:

And so when you couple that, and then you also look at the very large number that are economically deprived, it was like calling my name, because I know wholeheartedly that this is where student success cannot only just prosper in and of itself, but it will propel these young people and adult learners into their career goals in such a way whereby we know that if a student, as I make the statement all the time, if the student is qualified enough to be enrolled at your university, then we have a collective responsibility to ensure that that student will persist and graduate, and graduate not just with the degree, but with the degree of value that ensures that they have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that’s going to allow them to either go into graduate or professional school, go into the workforce, or further cultivate themselves, because they haven’t really determined yet where they want to be, but they’ve got the foundation from us, but that more importantly, especially for underrepresented students, to make sure that they have the skills needed to become leaders in their fields and leaders in their professions.

And that none of that just happens magically. It happens very intentionally through the student success efforts that are in place. I remember also, well, Jay, a conversation that I had with the presidents at the California State University. We were in a meeting of all 23 presidents. And we were talking about all the work that we were doing to improve graduation rates. And that we were under the impression initially that if were to continue with all of the work, and I’ll tell you a little bit more about what I mean on that, continue all of the work around these different strategies, specific to improving graduation rates, that we would automatically see a difference in our equity gaps.

And then we started learning that that was not true. That certainly for many of the strategies that were being implemented and many of the opportunities, especially around academic support, that our most underserved students were not the ones that were taking advantage of it, and that we were actually widening the equity gaps as opposed to closing.

Jay Lemons:

Wow.

Loren Blanchard:

And so what we did-

Jay Lemons:

That was a sober meeting, I can imagine.

Loren Blanchard:

It was, without a doubt. And so then we said, well, why don’t we flip the script. Why don’t we really focus on closing the equity gaps. And if we focus on closing the equity gaps, then we believe wholeheartedly that our graduation rates will increase. And so that’s what we did. We studied very long and hard what were the most appropriate strategies to, as Tim White, who was the chancellor as you well know of the system, who made the bold proclamation that by the year 2025, the California State University would eliminate all equity gaps by race, ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status. And so with that, we determined that there were specific strategies that had to be implemented that could and shown to be research driven and data driven that these could actually close the equity gaps.

And so we started focusing on academic preparation. We wanted to make sure that every student had the most reasonable opportunity to take at least 15 hours, so that if a student, and of course in California, it is 120-hour curriculum, right, so if the student wanted to and had all of the support that they needed to complete a degree in four years, that they actually could complete it within four years with the support that was needed. And then also understanding that students were coming in at varying levels of performance. And so we would take all of that into consideration to give them exactly the prescription for academic support that they would have to engage in. It was more intrusive to make sure that they would stay on course and graduate within a timely way.

Then we also knew that enrollment management was important, and not enrollment management from the traditional definition that we know of, but really thinking about how we schedule courses. And even deeper than that is should we schedule courses just simply based on faculty availability or should we really do a combined approach of faculty availability and student need, and not only student need, but also looking at data so that where we see these bottleneck courses that are occurring, not only are we providing support for faculty that are teaching those courses, but also recognizing that these are courses that we probably need to run on a more regular basis. And so that area of enrollment management became really important to understanding how we could use that to close equity gaps.

And then one of the real big pieces was the student engagement and wellbeing part. The wellbeing part becomes essentially because that’s where we would house our basic needs initiative, recognizing, Jay, the large number of California students who are food insecure, housing insecure, in need of mental health services, childcare services, transportation. It was unbelievable. Now, we couldn’t be all things to all students, but the reality is that we had to be knowledgeable and aware of ways in which either we could support students in those areas, or we could lead them to support services that lied outside of the university. And so that became really essential in terms of also closing the gaps.

Three other quick areas was financial support, that many of these students, you heard me say that they were Pell eligible, but it still wasn’t enough, especially in California where the economy was high and that it was really tough for students to even find housing that they could afford much less food that they could afford. And so micro grants became really important, and not only micro grants, but it also was an opportunity for alumni groups, as well as the general community to help to not only provide money for those micro grants, but also provide food for the food banks. And many times, it was food that they were growing in their own gardens that they would bring in, so it was healthy food. So it was really neat to see that kind of dynamic, but also see how many students were able to take advantage of it.

And then data driven decision making, that everything that we learned and that every aspect of academic preparation really had to center on data and understanding where our gaps were and where our successes were. And lastly, we focused in on administrative barriers, looking really at policies that stood in the way of student success, practices that you knew just didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but that you continued them because it was a policy. And so began looking at drop for non-payment. If a student just owed 150 or 200 dollars, is it wise really to drop all of their courses because of that? Or to disallow someone to graduate because they owed $25 to the library? All of those kinds of policies and practices were reexamined, frankly, they were eliminated. And that really made a critical difference for a lot of students.

So when you look at all of those six areas that I just shared with you, those were the focal points, those were the north stars. And we began to see before I left tremendous success in really eliminating those gaps. And while eliminating those gaps, we also saw graduation rates increase across all 23 campuses.

Jay Lemons:

Doing that work on the scale of the California State University system is just phenomenal. And no doubt will inform best practices elsewhere. Thank you for sharing in. By the way, I mean, you really underscored Maslow had it right. Basic needs are an essential criteria for human growth and learning, and addressing food scarcity and housing insecurity and access to, in this pandemic era, access to broadband are all essentials for learning. So thank you.

Want to switch gears. I love to ask this. I want to know what in your mind makes a good leader. Let me clarify for you. I’m not talking about a grade B leader. I’m talking about goodness, virtuous, effective, successful.

Loren Blanchard:

So in my mind, and what I’m working to do here in this leadership role is to do what I know best and that’s to care. That’s number one. To give great care, not just to our students, but to give great care to our faculty and our staff and our alums and those who support us. And especially those within the immediate campus community, it’s not just that I care, but also as a leader, that I value, I respect, I support, and that more importantly, I’ll do everything to make sure that you will be successful. And that goes for faculty and staff as well. And so that’s one element.

The other is to be a very good listener. When I first got here, did a listening tour, did it for about two and a half to three months, and it was the most valuable experience I could have ever engaged in. As a matter of fact, it became the majority of the talking points for yesterday’s state of the university address, because then it allowed me to know clearly how I begin. Where do we begin? Not only in terms of a strategic plan that we have to get developed, but that more importantly, in terms of some of the low hanging fruit, the immediate things that really should be taken care of in order to improve the overall campus climate here.

The third thing I’ll say is communication, regular communication. We’re about 15,000 students, over 15,000 students. And then in the COVID world in which we live, where we’ve got about right now, I’d say about 40% of our students who are being taught on campus, and that the remainder of them are either online or hybrid. And so with that, communication really becomes key, but it always is, right, even if you’ve got your whole group here, that regular and consistent communication with your campus community, with legislators, with your supporters, all of that becomes really important in terms of effective leadership.

And I would say also, just always being values driven and understanding what are those things that really matter most in terms of the values that you want to make sure that are A, tied to the mission in some way, but that also the values that you as a human being, who is a leader, what are those things that you will not compromise on? And what are those things that you will advocate for to make sure that this university really is and remains as a place of integrity and as a place of care and wellbeing. Those are some of the things that come to mind right off hand.

Jay Lemons:

If you began there, you’d have a more than generous and an abundant foundation built on. Thank you for sharing. I want to maybe move to a little bit different focus, and that is a part of the audience that I embrace through this medium are the 150 aspiring leaders in our annual programs through the American Academic Leadership Institute. And I wonder if you had just a moment or two to offer advice to them about where they’re at, and to others who aspire to leadership.

Loren Blanchard:

I’ll start with the fire in the belly. The passion, it’s got to be there, because if you’re not driven by this, and if you’re not driven by the fact of understanding that one of the primary responsibilities is to be able to ensure that students are getting the highest quality educational experience that we can afford them. So that as, just as I mentioned earlier, that once they leave here, they are well prepared, and that most importantly, that they then become the advocates for change in the community, in the world, in their professions, in their neighborhoods, because then, that becomes a reflection back on the university, and how important that becomes because they become your alums, who becomes the ambassadors for your university. And that’s not the main reason you’re doing it, but you’re doing it because you know wholeheartedly that it’s really designed to change the lives of people. And that’s what matters most in my mind. So that one, the passion for it.

And also, understanding that this work really requires you to be flexible in many ways, flexible in your thinking, flexible in your schedule, so thought about that, and flexible in your interactions with all people. I was just… Give you a great example. So yesterday at the state of the university address, there was a couple that was there, and I was introduced to them, and they told me that they knew that I was becoming their new neighbor, and they had done research on me and found out that the state of the university address was being delivered, and that they, although they had never met me before, they wanted to come and get a better understanding of the work that I did, and to know how they, as my neighbors could support me and my family.

Jay Lemons:

Wow.

Loren Blanchard:

Was that a wow moment or what? Right. I was almost taken aback by it, right? But I mean, it was just very genuine. And so all of that in terms of recognizing then as well, it’s like, well, you’re on stage, right, and that you’re on stage always. And it doesn’t mean that you have to… Well, it does mean that you have to adapt to that, but that it doesn’t mean that at the core of who you are, you remain who you are, right? And that really has to show through at all times, even when it’s unexpected.

Jay Lemons:

That’s a wonderful example, and it’s a sweet reminder that there are people who want to be of help and support in this work. And I think leadership is often regarded as a really lonely place to be, and there’s some real proof to that. And yet, you also feel that wind beneath your wings in some unexpected way. So I really appreciate your sharing that experience. You will have great fun being the UH Downtown guy all over town. And an important reminder, you’re never not, and yet, that’s not who you are. You are something more than that, and yet, it’s inseparable for those who are sitting in the most senior leadership position.

Loren Blanchard:

That’s it.

Jay Lemons:

Great advice. Yeah. Let’s move into the lightning round, Loren. You’re welcome to answer in whatever length you want. I’m going to shift the first of these questions slightly. Who’s had the most profound professional influence on you?

Loren Blanchard:

That’s an easy one for me, Norman Francis, the former president of Xavier University, the longest serving. He would always say, “Don’t call me the longest sitting president, because I used to stand every once in a while.” But the longest serving president at that time. When he left the seat, he was in his 40th year as president of Xavier. An amazing man and an amazing mentor and someone whom I will forever treasure. They’re in New Orleans, still giving leadership advice to a lot of individuals, including me, and I just love him.

Jay Lemons:

Well, I’ll always be grateful for your connecting me to him as well, and a profound influence. I thought that’s where you would go. But I also know the incredible regards you have for your former chancellor, Tim White, and-

Loren Blanchard:

Without a doubt.

Jay Lemons:

… the partnership that the both of you shared something special. That’s part of how you delivered on the promises that you described earlier. Is there a book that’s had the most significant influence on you?

Loren Blanchard:

Well, I can tell you that the most significant influence right now on me, because I just finished reading a book by Oprah Winfrey that’s entitled, What I Know for Sure. And let me tell you why I went to the book. I went to it because right now, there’s so very little that we do know for sure. So I was curious to know what in the world does Oprah Winfrey know for sure. There’s so much unpredictability that’s happening, especially with COVID, right? It’s like every week things are changing and evolving, and if there’s not a better definition of knowing what it is to live in times of unpredictability, now is it. And so I learned a lot through the book and I’m still reading it, and I’m enjoying it a lot.

It really has more so to do about just what I mentioned before, the core of who you are, right, that love prevails, and hope prevails. And so those are things that you should always latch onto that you know that will just be there and that you can count on.

Jay Lemons:

Spectacular. Thank you. What I Know for Sure.

Loren Blanchard:

What I Know for Sure, Oprah Winfrey.

Jay Lemons:

Wonderful. Favorite memory of your undergraduate experience.

Loren Blanchard:

So you heard me say earlier, I think, that I’m a product of Xavier University, which is the same place where I worked for a number of years. And my fondest memory is being taken care of so dearly by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. So the sisters… Well, St. Katharine Drexel, who was the founder of both Xavier University and the foundress of the Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, they were the order that essentially ran the university. And of course, obviously, we had a board etc. But it wasn’t just the fact that they had found it, the university, but more importantly, that there were many of the sister who worked at Xavier, and not just worked in the classroom or administration, but they lived on campus to give care to us as students. And that the sisters also worked within the community.

So my work study experience, which I didn’t even know that that could occur at the time until I was told, but my work study was external. And so I worked at one of the SBS K through eight schools, and I worked for a principal. Her name was Sister Angela Lighton. And when I say to you that she was just so influential in my life, as well as a student. She gave me a lot of reigns. And what I mean by that was certainly I gave her a lot of assistance in the office. But what she wanted more than anything else was for me to feel free to start something that I felt comfortable with there.

And so I started a speech and debate team, and this was a really tough school in a tough neighborhood. And the last thing in the world that you would think is that these kids would want to engage in something like speech and debate. And put together not only a wonderful speech and debate team that was across the… We started first grade, first grade through eighth grade, but then it caught fire and we had other schools get involved, and we ended up with close to 12 schools, and we created a speech and debate competition for all of those students. And of course, all students ended up with something, but it was so great to see them and to see their putting their talent right in front of us. And it was largely because of what Sister Angela Lighton did for me.

But I’ll say this to you as well. And then I’ll end on this question, that not only was it an opportunity to be a work, study student, but none of that even mattered. Didn’t even feel like work because I just loved it so much, but they gave so much care to me. I mean, it was just unbelievable that at night time when we finish up work and then go over to the convent, and they would want me to make sure that I would get my studying done. And the sisters would invite me to eat dinner with them. And if I needed any help or needed any guidance, they would be there and just be there to give me the support that I needed, and all of that mattered more than what anyone could ever possibly imagine. And I’m just so grateful for that experience. And thank you for bringing me back to think about that.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah. Yeah. No. That is an incredible experience for an undergraduate student. Hey, a favorite campus tradition somewhere you’ve attended or worked.

Loren Blanchard:

I’ll use Xavier until I can learn more of the traditions here as well. It’s called lagniappe weekend. Lagniappe is a term that’s used oftentimes in New Orleans to mean a little something extra. And so lagniappe weekend was where we invited students and their parents to come and to experiment what Xavier would be like. And it was just, we did everything, you name it, in terms of bringing city life into the university, but also giving them just a taste of what the academic experience would be like as well. And I tell you, it was just so exciting to see not only the impact that it had on the students, but on the parents as well. And it was used also as a recruitment tool to make sure that they knew what it would be like, but that more importantly, how much care that we would give to their young people if they’re chosen.

Jay Lemons:

Wonderful. But one of my traditions on this program is to invite leaders to share, if you would, with our listeners some of the distinctive qualities or organizational DNA that made the call for your heart to serve the University of Houston-Downtown, and what has made it special to you already in your first six months?

Loren Blanchard:

Well, first and foremost, it’s the students. The students that we serve, and more importantly, how passionate they are about the opportunity for a higher education. And to see that we take more of a learning by doing approach. And I love to see how many of our students are engaged in community service, are engaged in internship opportunities, and that we are right in the heart of the business district. And I wish you could see what I see as I look right beyond my screen here. And I see a vibrant, well, maybe not so vibrant with COVID, but see a downtown community that often is seeking out our students to come and to be engaged in all different forms of business and social service agencies, and you name it, schools.

And the beauty of it is that before our students leave here, they really have had plenty of opportunities to practice what they know, and practice the skills largely because of where we are in the downtown area, but also because it’s by design to make sure that students really know that they have selected the correct major and the correct field that they really want to launch into. So that’s one.

Two is just the caring nature of the campus itself. You’ve heard me use that word, care, at least five times, because it really is important. When you walk into a campus, you can tell whether or not you’re walking into a caring environment, because you feel the warmth.

Jay Lemons:

You can.

Loren Blanchard:

And so there is that warmth that’s here. As a matter of fact, they told me before I was even hired that if I were to be hired, that I would feel like I was walking into my new family, and they were so absolutely right. I mean, that’s exactly how I feel, beyond the shadow of a doubt. And then I think also what I’ve learned since I’ve been here is just the great opportunity that we’ve got. I mean, we’re relatively a young university. As a matter of fact, we’re going to celebrate our 50th-year anniversary in 2024. So we have so much room to grow, right, as a young campus. And trying to understand, because we still don’t have it down to a science yet, but who we really are at UHD, and who are we prime to be at UHD?

I mean, we’re doing great work, and we are producing students that are doing exactly what I mentioned earlier. They are the leaders of tomorrow and of today, but still isn’t enough. And so with that, what I mean by that is really how the university can become an anchor institution and really embed itself so deeply within the Houston community. And that we know that it’s really designed, that we are designed here to ensure that we are working collaboratively with the city to improve the life conditions of the citizens who live here. And that’s what I look forward to, and that’s what energizes me, motivates me, inspires me every single day. I love being here.

Jay Lemons:

Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. And as you were describing it, I was thinking, this is about being an anchor institution, and you articulated it. And to be in the heart of one of America’s largest and most vibrant cities is an incredible gift. And I know that your service there and that commitment to care and to educational access and success and excellence will make University of Houston-Downtown an even greater anchor than it is already. So Loren, thank you for joining us on Leaders on Leadership. Really glad to have had the time to spend with you and appreciate your sharing your insights and wisdom about leadership with our listeners.

Loren Blanchard:

Thank you, Jay. I enjoyed every moment of it.

Jay Lemons:

Well, it has been my great pleasure, and I look forward to our paths crossing again very soon. Listeners, I want you to know we welcome your suggestions and thoughts about leaders we should feature in upcoming segments. You can send any suggestions to leadershippodcast@academicsearch.org. You can find our podcast on the Academic Search website or wherever you find your podcasts. Leaders on Leadership is brought to you by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute. Together, our mission is to support colleges and universities during times of transition through leadership development activities that serve current and future generations of leaders of the academy. Again, it’s been a joy, a special joy to have Dr. Loren Blanchard on our show today. Thank you again, Loren, for being with us.

Loren Blanchard:

Thank you. Have a good one now.