Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Prepared remarks for Gallup at Work Summit Keynote Address
It is wonderful to be here today to share West Virginia University’s journey to becoming a strengths-based institution — and how all organizations can benefit from helping stakeholders discover their strengths.
To begin, I would like to ask how many people here have “learner” among their top strengths?
I do, as well — no surprise for someone in the education business. But, no matter what kind of organization you lead, learning about its context and challenges must be a continuous process.
Over the past several years, everything I learned about higher education in America — and especially in West Virginia — made me feel like I was reading a Stephen King novel.
A cascade of economic and societal forces has begun to reshape higher education forever.
One of those forces is demographic — the so-called “demographic cliff,” a sharp decline in the college-aged population. Certain regions of the country, such as the Northeast and Midwest, will face steeper population drops than others. West Virginia, which has long had a declining and aging population, lost a higher percentage of residents than any other state in the 2020 U.S. Census. West Virginia public schools enrolled just over 250,000 youth in the most recent school year, compared to 282,000 in 2010.
Past declines in the college-aged population were largely offset by the rising percentage of high school graduates who pursued higher education. Little room remains for further growth in college attendance; in fact, recent trends show more people questioning the value of the four-year degree.
Today, only one-third of the U.S. public expresses “a lot” of confidence in higher education. And almost one-half of U.S. parents do not believe their children need a four-year college education.
In West Virginia about 46 percent of 2022 high school graduates entered college. That is down from nearly 55 percent in 2011.
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted college campuses, some students left, and they show no signs of returning. Labor shortages have produced well-paying job opportunities that some high school graduates have seized as an alternative to college.
Meanwhile, a long-running trend of reductions in state funding for public universities
accelerated since the pandemic. According to the West Virginia Center for Budget
and Policy, our state has reduced higher education funding by $156 million over
the past decade — a nearly 25% reduction in overall support.
Gen Z students who attend college are not pursuing the same degree options that
their predecessors did even 10 years ago. And that makes sense, since workplace
needs are changing rapidly.
Consider that the number of students seeking four-year degrees in computer science
and related fields shot up 34 percent nationally from 2017 to 2022. Many business
and health sciences programs are also booming. At the same time, the number majoring
in English fell 23 percent and the number of history majors fell 12 percent.
From my “learner” perspective, one thing about higher education became obvious:
America’s college and universities must change or die.
Luckily, one of my other top strengths is “arranger.” Who shares that one?
In my case, “arranger” means I want to get things done, and I want to get them
done fast.
Throughout my tenure, I have emphasized the need to streamline West Virginia University’s
work and focus on the areas that are most important to our students.
Doing so honors our heritage as a land-grant university.
In 1862, amid a devastating Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill
Act, perhaps the greatest single piece of legislation ever enacted and a catalyst
for the future growth of our republic.
Land-grant education grew from the radical new idea of opening higher education to
the masses and using university-created knowledge to improve citizens’ lives. Institutions
such as West Virginia University focused first on agriculture and engineering,
the hot job markets for 19th century rural youth.
Land-grant universities, however, must evolve with the needs of those they serve.
My goal has been to help our institution become THE modern land-grant university.
What does that mean? It means we will always respect our origins, our founding mission
and our role in our nation’s history and growth.
But as a modern land-grant university, we recognize that the 21st century is vastly
different from the 19th century.
A modern land-grant university adapts to meet those new expectations. While we will remain focused on serving our communities through teaching and learning, research and discovery, and engagement and outreach, we will be unafraid to make changes to ensure their relevance, value and importance.
Change is scary, and we in higher education often embrace inertia rather than risking criticism. Our university has had the courage to face detractors.
We built on efforts over the last decade to reimagine and streamline various University
operations and services and transform academics for today’s world.
At the same time, It is imperative that we remain future-focused and continue to
invest in initiatives that will differentiate the University nationally, enhance
the student experience and help us to work smarter.
Change is inevitable, as my fellow “arrangers” well know. If organizations are
not the architects of change, they will be its victims.
Another top strength of mine is “achiever.” How many achievers do we have here?
As president, I take pride in our collective achievements at West Virginia University.
Our work as West Virginia’s land-grant institution always aims at strengthening
four pillars — education, health, prosperity and purpose. And purpose is really the
foundation of our entire enterprise.
I believe that West Virginia University is not just an institution of higher learning — we
are an institution of higher purpose.
As a land-grant, research 1 institution, our mission is to improve people’s lives
through knowledge and discovery.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 80 years, it is that life is about finding
what inspires you and making sure your choices serve that purpose.
I know as well as anyone that our life’s journeys can take unexpected detours.
I grew up in a Utah town so small that it did not need a stop sign and so isolated
that television signals did not reach it.
But, perhaps due to my “achiever” and “learner” strengths, I always knew that I
wanted to venture beyond my hometown.
Based on my family background, becoming a third-generation banker was my most likely
career. Instead, I dreamed of becoming a physician. In college, my involvement
in student government — and perhaps my distaste for organic chemistry — transformed
my career goal into becoming a lawyer. After law school, I entered academia as
a law professor and dean, and a talent for administration soon emerged because
I first became president of West Virginia University at age 37.
It was an unlikely path that led a Utah teen dreaming of a medical career to a career
leading universities. I would not trade that journey for anything, but it might
have been easier if I had tools to help me identify my strengths.
Along the way, I have come to see purpose as the driving force of my life. I know
when I wake up in the morning that if I do my job well — and fulfill my purpose — people’s
lives will be better.
To help today’s young people reach their life’s destinations, we created a Purpose Center on our campus.
The Purpose Center is a personal concierge for our students to access the guidance
they need – from self-discovery to mental health to career supports and our alumni
network.
Bates College and Gallup conducted a study that found 80% — or four out of five
college graduates — affirm the importance of finding purpose in their work. However,
less than 50% say they succeed in finding purpose in their employment. Gallup
also found that graduates who align their work with their interests, values and
strengths are almost three times more likely to experience high purpose in work.
That is why the Purpose Center is so important. In one year, we had more than 15,000 students, faculty, staff and parents engage with it.
It is hard for anyone to plot a course without a compass. I first read about Gallup’s
StrengthsFinder assessment when I was president of Ohio State University, and I
instantly suspected it could be a powerful navigational tool for college students.
That is why I am so pleased that the West Virginia University Purpose Center developed
the path for us to become a unique CliftonStrengths-based university.
Every incoming first-year student and transfer student takes the Gallup CliftonStrengths
assessment prior to attending New Student Orientation. When they gather for that
event, students break into groups, learn more about their strengths and how to
use them when they arrive on campus in the fall.
We integrate strengths holistically into our students’ first-year experiences including
Adventure West Virginia wilderness recreation trips, our orientation courses, residence
hall life and our mental health services.
The first-year experience is crucial to student success, but our guidance does
not end after freshman year. We incorporate Strengths into special modules for
our upperclassmen to continue their self-development, with our two most popular
pods being leadership and well-being.
But rather than me share their words, let’s hear from our students directly. (Video of WVU students sharing their thoughts on purpose and strengths.)
Aren’t they amazing? To ensure we continue to serve them well, we measure how the programming and content impacts the well-being and engagement of our students and adjust as need be.
And our goal is for every student to persist until graduation and find a job they
are passionate about and sets them up for a thriving future. Our work with CliftonStrengths
differentiates us from other universities and gives our students an advantage as
they head into the job market.
Students are the heart of any university, but many other people also help it succeed — and
we are working to extend Strengths training to every stakeholder.
For example, Gallup helped us create an exclusive opportunity for parents. During
orientation, parents learn more about the assessment and receive a co-branded Strengths
parents’ book unique to our University. This one-of-a-kind experience creates an
even stronger partnership with our parents and provides them with tools and a common
language to aid in their student’s success. This is particularly helpful for our
First Generation families.
We also make Strengths training available for faculty, staff and administrators.
Over time, I have generally found that about one-third are enthusiastic about such
training opportunities, one-third are at least curious about it and one-third start
off cynical.
Cynicism is never helpful in advancing an organization, but higher education seems
to attract its fair share of cynics.
Fortunately I have a secret weapon. I have Woo.
Are there any other Woo-ers here today?
I am a people person. My daughter always says that my idea of a quiet evening at home is hosting a dinner for 500 people. I like engaging, and I have found that even the most cynical people become idealistic when talking about at least one subject — themselves.
Faculty and staff who take the StrengthsFinder assessment, even reluctantly, gain insight on the most fascinating of subjects. I often say the assessment knew me better than I knew myself, even after decades of reflection.
I have observed that when someone gains this self-insight, they cannot resist encouraging others to do the same. Faculty quickly realize how helpful this tool can be for students and become Strengths ambassadors.
By participating in Strengths training, faculty and staff also see how their unique
makeup can help our University fulfill its land-grant purpose. And recognizing
the wide range of strengths their colleagues possess, they collaborate more effectively
to advance education, health and prosperity in West Virginia.
Our commitment to purpose has produced tangible results.
Last year, for example, the University saw its second highest freshman retention
rate in history — 81.4% — along with its highest four-year graduation rate on record,
reflecting a jump of 14% during the past eight years.
Long-standing student success programs are customizing academic resources to fit
each student’s interests, passions and goals by collaborating with the Purpose
Center. This is critical to Gen Z — and Gen Alpha who are coming up behind.
Our Purpose Center Director Whitney Godwin is here today.
Whitney has said such connections are helping students discover their strengths
while creating well-rounded, relevant and meaningful experiences to help them learn,
grow and continue on their path toward graduation and beyond.
The center reaches out across campus to help students develop holistically as individuals, improving their academics, career development, health, well-being and social interactions.
In addition to reaching students by holding hundreds of purpose-related workshops
and one-on-one mentoring sessions, the Center is integrating purpose work into
units that help some of the University’s most vulnerable student populations.
For example, the director of our First-Year Experience program saw an increase
in retention and student GPAs after incorporating CliftonStrengths® training into
her one-credit course designed for students on academic notice or probation.
She said: “As students establish connections between their unique abilities and
their chosen major and career interests, they not only gain clarity in their aspirations,
but also solidify their plans. The more students understand how they independently
approach challenges and solve problems, the more they are showing higher levels
of engagement, confidence and improvements in study and time management skills.”
Recent data shows that more first-generation and male students are returning after
their freshmen years to pursue their degrees. We have also seen an increase in
retention among students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
We recently conducted a Gallup survey on our campus and had nearly 2,000 participants.
One of the questions we asked is if they felt they had gained more confidence and
are feeling more prepared for the future after engaging with the Purpose Center
and understanding their Strengths. We anticipate seeing the needle move in a positive
direction.
Putting together all I have learned from our University’s experience, I draw upon
my final top five Strength, intellection.
Does anyone else have that one?
I believe intellection helps me reflect and see the possibilities. It enables me to offer advice to other leaders hoping to incorporate Strengths and purpose into their work. So, I’d like to offer a few final guiding thoughts.
First, when hiring a leadership team, seek people with varied strengths. Early in
my presidential career, I hired a provost who was just like me. We certainly enjoyed
working together, but our results were lackluster. In my next presidential role,
I chose someone completely different. In political candidate terms, this was not
someone I would want to “have a beer with” — even if I drank beer. But our balanced
strengths produced impressive results for the University.
For example, “deliberative” lingers near the bottom of the Strengths list. As I
said before, I like to move quickly. Having someone tap the breaks occasionally
can prevent some nasty collisions.
In a world that increasingly recognizes the importance of diversity, build your
organization into a beautiful mosaic of talents.
Second, encourage regular conversation about Strengths and how they are helping
team members fulfill their purpose. I gather with my senior leadership team on
a frequent basis. We often spend the first part of our meeting talking about Strengths — how
they helped us this week, how we collaborated across Strengths, and how we can
better use our team’s combined Strengths in the future.
Do not assume that simply offering a one-time Strengths training will make a meaningful
impact on your teams’ performance. Make Strengths a central part of your daily
work. And help everyone see the link between individual Strengths and organizational
purpose.
Finally, embrace purpose to overcome the worst threat to any organization — complacency.
Our world is changing faster than we can comprehend. Within a decade, AI alone
will revolutionize many jobs.
At a time when resources are so limited, needs are so great, expectations are so high, and threats are so significant, we cannot afford to stand still.
Challenges provide us an opportunity for reinvention and reimagination. And while change can be unsettling, we all know that is a necessary part of life’s expedition. You will survive and you will thrive because transformation is a powerful experience. And with a well-defined purpose as your goal — and with Strengths as guideposts — you can shift the arc of your journey toward a fulfilling life and set your organization’s course toward world-changing impact.