WEBVTT - University of Akron President on Equality and Inclusion

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Jason

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. We've been very fortunate, Carol to

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<v Speaker 1>catch up with some leaders of major universities across the

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<v Speaker 1>country of late and the latest installment in that conversation

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<v Speaker 1>on going is Gary Miller. He's president of the University

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<v Speaker 1>of Akron, joining us on the phone from Akron. President Miller.

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<v Speaker 1>Really nice to have you with us, Great to be here. Well, Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>I have an affinity for your school. We have a

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<v Speaker 1>good friend, Carol, and I do Joe Reese, who's a

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<v Speaker 1>proud alum. I know he's listening right now. So goes

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<v Speaker 1>Zips and Lisa's Sable is an old friend as well

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<v Speaker 1>who works on your team. So really delighted. I've had

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<v Speaker 1>a chance to visit your campus a few years ago.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, tell us a little bit about the university

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<v Speaker 1>because where it is and the community that it serves,

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<v Speaker 1>I think is really important to understand. Yeah, the University

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<v Speaker 1>of Akron is an urban research university and it in

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<v Speaker 1>downtown Akron, which is you probably knows, a legacy city

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<v Speaker 1>in America, long history of manufacturing, um the tire and

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<v Speaker 1>rubber capital of the world. And and really is representative

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<v Speaker 1>of a lot of what's happened in American cities in

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<v Speaker 1>Middle America in the last since the early two thousand's.

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<v Speaker 1>So what's it like now? I mean, what what is

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<v Speaker 1>the feel on the ground, Because every time we talked

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<v Speaker 1>to someone, especially out of our outside of our little bubble,

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<v Speaker 1>President Miller, we want to know, like, what what is

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<v Speaker 1>it like? And you know, both in terms of you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the both of the crises that I guess we're going

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<v Speaker 1>through just been a heavy you know, it's just been

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<v Speaker 1>a heavy three months and a heavy then three weeks

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<v Speaker 1>on top of it. Yeah, one of the things we

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<v Speaker 1>were talking to our board about last week was, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>even though we've had we have a heavy lift with

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<v Speaker 1>the coming through the COVID thing, this is a real

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<v Speaker 1>historic moment in America around race relations. And there's been

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of emphasis on that and I thought about

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<v Speaker 1>that uh in Acar and a lot of community conversations.

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<v Speaker 1>We've had protests uh almost all peaceful, and the University

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<v Speaker 1>of course is gearing up to think about this uh

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<v Speaker 1>in in many different ways, including with an action group

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<v Speaker 1>that students formed and and community conversations that we're focused

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<v Speaker 1>on and then you know, we've got to examine ourselves too.

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<v Speaker 1>We're gonna announce a task force next week to look

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<v Speaker 1>at our practices and policies around you know, unconscious bias

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<v Speaker 1>and uh and in the way we um assemble a

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<v Speaker 1>nurturing and inclusive environment. What's interesting to hear you say that,

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<v Speaker 1>and and forgive me, because I think we're all trying

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<v Speaker 1>to figure this out. This is not a new dilemma.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, we've been talking about as as many of

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<v Speaker 1>our guests have come on and said, you know, racism,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been around for four hundred years in America, and

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<v Speaker 1>yet there's a lot of discussions. UM, but what do

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<v Speaker 1>you think are concrete steps that need to be taken.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, you've been in academia for a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>You were chancellor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington's

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<v Speaker 1>you we're at Wichita State University, UM and more. And

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<v Speaker 1>I just do wonder what are the practices and policies,

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<v Speaker 1>the real actions that make a difference and that help

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<v Speaker 1>a race racism in our country. We're uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>higher public higher education should be in the business of

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<v Speaker 1>providing opportunities, and I think educational opportunities is what we

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<v Speaker 1>do best, and we're focused on that. I think in

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<v Speaker 1>a city like Akron, where we have thirty percent of

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<v Speaker 1>the population is the African American forty percent of the

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<v Speaker 1>school district, you know, we've got to be about understanding

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<v Speaker 1>the dynamics of those families, understanding how we can work

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<v Speaker 1>with our community leaders to get UM get these students

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<v Speaker 1>opportunities for higher education. And we know the jobs of

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<v Speaker 1>the future are going to require it. We know the

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<v Speaker 1>jobs in the Acrone area are going to require it.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's what we're focused on. But I do think

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<v Speaker 1>there's a bigger role for our universities. We are often

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<v Speaker 1>UM UH the honest broker in the community. We can

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<v Speaker 1>convene people, We have incredible faculty expertise around many issues

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<v Speaker 1>related to UH systemic racism. We need to deploy those

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<v Speaker 1>better and in some cases, I think we even have

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<v Speaker 1>to contribute some of our resources to making our community

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<v Speaker 1>is better. Is it fair to say UH President Millard

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<v Speaker 1>that students are impatient? I feel like, you know, Carol

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<v Speaker 1>and I both have teenagers, and one of the things

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<v Speaker 1>I think we've since from them maybe in a in

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<v Speaker 1>a in a way that we haven't seen in several generations.

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<v Speaker 1>Is a sense of urgency. I wonder what you're hearing

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<v Speaker 1>from your students, knowing that they're not on campus now,

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<v Speaker 1>But I know you're in touch with them, right we are.

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<v Speaker 1>They are inpatient, but they're incredibly thoughtful too. Um I think,

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<v Speaker 1>um my sense in our students. We have very thoughtful students,

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<v Speaker 1>About seventy of them work. Most of them come from

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<v Speaker 1>middle or lower income families. They have a real experience,

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<v Speaker 1>and they're very thoughtful about the problem. But they are impatient.

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<v Speaker 1>They do want action, and we should, uh, we should

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<v Speaker 1>take a key from that and uh and work toward action.

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<v Speaker 1>Well go ahead, no, no, no, no, no, no no, go ahead. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I was just gonna say, we want to talk a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit more about coming back. We're gonna do some

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<v Speaker 1>news in a second, but just in the next thirty

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<v Speaker 1>or forty seconds, what's the one thing you're most focused

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<v Speaker 1>on in terms of getting kids back on campus in

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<v Speaker 1>the fall. So we want them to be safe and

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<v Speaker 1>we want them to have campus experience. We've learned a

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<v Speaker 1>lot about education and a lot about technology, and we've

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<v Speaker 1>also learned that you know, we're a high density organization

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<v Speaker 1>that thrives on interaction, and we have to figure that out.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week Carl Master, Jason Kelly,

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<v Speaker 1>and our guest at this hour is Gary Miller, president

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<v Speaker 1>of the University of Grown who, as we mentioned, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if we did we talked to it. I

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<v Speaker 1>think after we started our discussion. He took this job

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<v Speaker 1>last October. President Miller is still on the phone with

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<v Speaker 1>us from Akron, Ohio. I have to say, President Miller,

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<v Speaker 1>this was not exactly how you expected your first year

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<v Speaker 1>in the top to go. I'm just guessing, no, it's not.

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<v Speaker 1>But I'm not alone. No, you're not. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>a really tricky spot to be. Tell us though, about

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<v Speaker 1>the financial pressures that you are feeling on yourself really

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<v Speaker 1>and on the university right now. It's interesting this uh

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<v Speaker 1>this virus really is stressed every dimension of the business

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<v Speaker 1>model for public higher education, and all of our revenue

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<v Speaker 1>UH streams were badly hit. And you know, we're we're

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<v Speaker 1>looking at about a sixty five million dollar challenge for

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<v Speaker 1>next fiscal year and we're working pretty hard to to

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<v Speaker 1>get that figured out. We did do some real interesting

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<v Speaker 1>things fast though. We were able to reorganize the institution

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<v Speaker 1>very quickly from eleven colleges to five, which I think

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<v Speaker 1>gives us a much more nimble administration. We still have

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<v Speaker 1>all of our programs, but they're in um closer proximity

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<v Speaker 1>with the related programs and less administrative costs. The faculty

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<v Speaker 1>here did that in a month and a half, which

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<v Speaker 1>I think must be a world record reorganization our education.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you been able to hold on to everybody in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of your staff? We will not be able to

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<v Speaker 1>or we're still working through that. Uh, we're in negotiations

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<v Speaker 1>now with our union about that. But it's a tough time.

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<v Speaker 1>It's it's a tough time. And so how does in

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<v Speaker 1>the short term the experience change? And again we're asking

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<v Speaker 1>this question in part as parents, but on behalf of

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<v Speaker 1>lots of parents out there and candid least some you know,

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<v Speaker 1>precocious college students who listen to this radio show to

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<v Speaker 1>you know, be smart about business. I'm sure, Um, what

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<v Speaker 1>can folks expect when they show up to accor in

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<v Speaker 1>this fall? This is really into a sting and a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of us don't know. Um, you know, we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>working in a low density environment with twenty thou students. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>They will be taking classes, almost all of which will

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<v Speaker 1>be hybrid in some form or another. UM. Campus activities

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<v Speaker 1>will be very different. We're having to to really emphasize

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<v Speaker 1>the you know, personal health and math, and we're still

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<v Speaker 1>UM trying to understand the kind of testing regime you'll

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<v Speaker 1>put in. There are a lot of things the universities do,

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<v Speaker 1>like studios and athletics and dance and the band and

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<v Speaker 1>the UH that just can't be done in low density normally,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're trying to figure that out. And of course,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, these are UM, these are young adults and

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<v Speaker 1>UM they have minds of their own, UH, so they

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<v Speaker 1>will be out in the community. We're working very closely

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<v Speaker 1>with our local health department, local community hospitals, and we

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<v Speaker 1>do expect, you know, to have some cases on campus,

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<v Speaker 1>so we're ready to take care of those quarantine and

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<v Speaker 1>tests and trace if we need to. It will be

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<v Speaker 1>very different. We'll learn a lot, we're One of the

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<v Speaker 1>things we're doing is getting groups of students together to

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<v Speaker 1>talk to us during the semester so that we can

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<v Speaker 1>make adjustments as we go along. Interesting so if they

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<v Speaker 1>have so we're trying to do some real time adjusting here.

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<v Speaker 1>If they have complaints about the way we're doing it,

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<v Speaker 1>we want them to be innovative. I always tell freshmen,

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<v Speaker 1>make sure you change us before you leave. And so

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<v Speaker 1>we're gonna get them a real, uh real opportunity this

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<v Speaker 1>fall to uh to help us figure it out. Well.

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<v Speaker 1>I have to think you're surrounding community right because of

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<v Speaker 1>college or university. It's about the college community university community,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's also the surrounding community. Right. There's small businesses,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a lot of things that you know, are you know,

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<v Speaker 1>rely on you as well. It's a codependency in Akrone.

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<v Speaker 1>We're we're a hundred fifty years old in this city

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<v Speaker 1>and uh we we can't imagine being here without Acron

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<v Speaker 1>and the city can't imagine being here without us, and

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<v Speaker 1>so we that's true. We work very closely together, and

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<v Speaker 1>so you know, it's interesting. I also wonder how much

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<v Speaker 1>you have to coordinate with other schools across Ohio. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>is that the coordination you have to have? Is is

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<v Speaker 1>it regional? Is it local? Like? Who who has to

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<v Speaker 1>be sort of all on the same page? Dr Miller.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a great uh coordinating effort across Ohio. We have

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<v Speaker 1>a inter university council. We talk, our groups talk virtually

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<v Speaker 1>every week. And the things we're doing are setting up

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<v Speaker 1>common protocols for how we're gonna phase in, how we're

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<v Speaker 1>going to test, how we're gonna do so that we

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<v Speaker 1>get um, so that we can learn from each other,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're all kind of giving everybody the same experience

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<v Speaker 1>and taking on the same risks. Great group of colleagues

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<v Speaker 1>in Ohio. I have to tell you, well, and you

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<v Speaker 1>know some great schools, including yours, across the state. All right, well, um,

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully we'll see in some form of another some Zips football.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh this fault. Gary Miller as the president of the

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<v Speaker 1>University of Akron, John Us on the phone from Akron.

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<v Speaker 1>Great to get. I love catching up with college presidents.

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<v Speaker 1>I do too. I do too, and I kind of say,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, they're under a lot of stress. I think

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<v Speaker 1>about the president of Ithaca that we talked to, and

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<v Speaker 1>I know someone who's been in the administrative staff there

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<v Speaker 1>and was talking to them. I mean, it's just not

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<v Speaker 1>an easy place to be and you're gonna make some

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<v Speaker 1>people unhappy with whatever. Nobody's gonna be happy. Yeah, yeah, exactly,