Q&A: Incoming USCB Chancellor Al Panu sees size, stature growth in future

In this Q&A, new chancellor Al Panu discusses his vision for USCB.

Question: What first attracted you to the chancellor position at USCB?

Answer: I learned of USCB through some friends who I had known and colleagues who had worked with me and they said there was a position for a chancellor and said, 'You really need to look at it.' After looking at the curriculum and its history, it very much intrigued me so I decided to pursue it a little bit more. I think one of the things that really hit home with me (was) when I visited the campus for the on-campus interview and I was able to meet with a student, unintentionally, at the counter of the hotel I was checking into. He asked what I was doing in town, and when I told him I was interviewing for a position at USCB, he started telling me all about being a student there. He was just exuding with excitement about his experience at the university and he particularly expressed his positive relationship with professors and the networking opportunities. Just the excitement he exuded was contagious for me and one of the best introductions I could have dreamed of.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I think there are opportunities to not only grow in terms of enrollment but in stature as well. I also think experiential learning for our students is a unique opportunity we have to grow, whether through research or internships and to take it to that level. I'm very excited about the access mission of the school with the Lowcountry, but I think we have the opportunity to go beyond and be attractive to areas outside and impact those populations.(NOTE: The "access mission" involves making higher education accessible to every student, especially those who face barriers.)

Q: What about your background makes you a good fit for the position?

A: I have a strong background starting as a faculty member and I think faculty is really important in strengthening an institution. I think USCB is poised to attract a lot of really strong faculty who are committed to educating our types of students, and that is really critical. I also have a strong background in growing enrollment. I have done so at three of the last campuses I have been at, and I have a strong background in retention, progression and graduation rates and working to grow those numbers.

I know some of USCB's numbers in terms of retention and graduation, but need to dig in more. I know we see relatively low retention and is that because of the academic background of the students coming in, is that for financial reasons, is that tied to how long we have been a full baccalaureate institution? Those are all factors that play into those statistics and without being on the ground and studying the numbers it is difficult to know which are playing the biggest roles. But regardless of what the factors are, they are not outside the realm of what we can address and change.

Q: What will be your three biggest priorities?

A: I first want to spend a lot of time listening, both to the students and faculty and the community, as well.

I also think, through my conversations with those at USCB, that it is time to develop and implement a strategic plan that really lays out some goals for the future. The whole area of retention is really big for me, as I mentioned. And I don't want this to come across that we have really bad numbers, but just think that is a big focus because retention has its tentacles in many other areas of the university and I think if we improve that we can expand our programs and improve graduation rates and other things. I also want to try to raise money for scholarships because I think you often find that finances present huge difficulties for students in completing school.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days?

A: There are some goals I've set for myself, and they are related to things I've already mentioned, but think it's a little premature to make a 100-day schedule. I think those are things that will be fleshed out for me in the next week or so.

Q: What is your vision for USCB and what do you think is its identity?

A: I do have an idea of what USCB will and should be known for. But I think it's important to have some level of consensus around it because you don't want to move ahead without anyone else following. So I will frame it this way: We are a destination location and there isn't a reason why we shouldn't have some of the best programs for the region we are in, whether it's hospitality or something else ... . We want to have the reputation that students graduating from USCB are ready to be successful in their career or in graduate school because their learning is not just in the classroom but is hands-on.

We also want to improve our rankings on U.S. News and World Report lists, but all that is secondary because that comes when we have strong academics and programs and students and are able to improve our retention and graduation rates. It takes a while for people to really begin changing the way they see the university from a stepping stone to a stand-alone baccalaureate institution. But we will be adding programs so they really have a reason to stay.

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Q&A: Incoming USCB Chancellor Al Panu sees size, stature growth in future."