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Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D.
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Now, as she and her family begin the journey to their new home in Springfield, Joyner takes a few moments to reflect on this transitional time and on the year she calls one of the most "intellectually stimulating and fulfilling" of her career.
For President-Elect Laurie M. Joyner, the 2011-12 academic year will forever be one of the most meaningful and gratifying given her passion for higher education and love of learning. In addition to participating in a yearlong Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) for cabinet officers and embracing an expanded portfolio of administrative responsibilities at Rollins College, including overseeing an institution-wide strategic planning process and a campus-wide student success initiative, Joyner also accepted the call to serve as Wittenberg's next president.
"Balancing my commitment to continuous learning with my responsibilities at Rollins and Wittenberg has been possible because I am blessed with capable and generous colleagues in both Winter Park and Springfield who have supported our work together every step of the way," Joyner said. "I remain mindful that all significant accomplishments result from the talents, skills and efforts of those on one's team."
Listening to the Wittenberg community and learning everything she can about the university have clearly been priorities for Joyner during the last few months. From visiting campus multiple times this spring and attending the Board of Directors' meeting in May to communicating regularly with the Board and senior staff to participating in meetings with faculty leaders, staff members, alumni, donors and friends of the university, Joyner wants to ensure that she understands the strengths and challenges facing Wittenberg.
"The most important thing I have done is spend as much time as I can with those most closely associated with Wittenberg in order to learn about the impressive history, traditions and achievements of the university," Joyner said. "I have also read as much as I can about the history of Wittenberg, including the work of President Emeritus Bill Kinnison, as well as Wittenberg's current context based on publicly available information and briefing materials provided to me by a range of campus and community leaders."
Additionally, as one of only 42 vice-presidential campus leaders selected to participate in the yearlong ELA sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute, Joyner has spent considerable time studying the areas of strategic finance, development and governance. She has also participated in a women's leadership study and was invited to present her work on institutional change initiatives at a national conference. Moreover, she has developed an extensive network of higher education colleagues across the country, including sitting and retired presidents, whom she can call upon as resources when needed.
Such conversations, information, research, resources and professional development opportunities have affirmed in every way why Joyner wants to lead Wittenberg at this moment in its history.
"It is clear that Wittenberg offers a rigorous, life-changing education that helps many students discover their passion and purpose in life," Joyner said. "I already take great pride in communicating that Wittenberg has more Ohio Professor of the Year recipients than any other four-year institution in the state, and that Wittenberg ranked 11th in the nation for ‘Best Classroom Experience' and 15th in the category ‘Professors Get High Marks' in the 2011 edition of The Best 371 Colleges (Princeton Review)."
At the same time, Joyner said she is encouraged by the high priority given to service and to the relationship between the campus and the local community.
"I believe that the active engagement of faculty, staff and students helps enhance learning while addressing community needs," she said. "It is a great honor that Wittenberg's efforts in this area of community engagement have been recognized nationally for five consecutive years (2006-2010) on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts."
Joyner finds the story of Wittenberg's athletics impressive, too.
"Athletics is an important element of student development as well as a prominent institutional point of pride," she said. "The athletic distinctions are too numerous to list but include: the volleyball team earning the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2011; the football team becoming the first NCAA Division II or III program to reach 700 all-time wins; the men's basketball team leading the NCAA Division III list of all-time victories; and the university finishing 50th out of more than 440 NCAA Division III schools in the 2011-2012 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup."
As for preparing her family for this next chapter, Joyner said that she and her husband Jay have focused the attention of their children, Jay, 13, Alexander, 9, and Christopher, 8, on "the continuity of our values and priorities as a family regardless of what positions we occupy or what community we join.
"For us, this means communicating the importance of faith, family, fulfilling work and service to others. We have emphasized the responsibilities we are accepting as a family as we join the Wittenberg and Springfield communities while also stressing that the centrality of our role as their parents will never change."
To assist their boys in the transition, the Joyners have also taken them to visit their new schools, toured Wittenberg and had them select the paint colors for their bedrooms, as well as take in an outdoor play about Tecumseh in Chillicothe.
"Members of the Wittenberg community have gone out of their way to connect with our boys by creating personalized Tiger posters welcoming them to campus and introducing them to delicious buckeyes for the first time," Joyner said.
While the physical move is expected to occur near the end of June, Joyner will be on campus full time the first week of July to begin the process of settling into the Benjamin Prince House.
"I have enjoyed preparing for my new role and am enthusiastic about engaging the full constellation of constituencies associated with Wittenberg in conversations about our shared vision for the future," she said. "All of us look forward to becoming fully integrated into the life of the campus and the Springfield community."
Written by: Karen Gerboth '93
Photo by: Erin Pence ‘04
