Forsee speaks, Forsee listens

By: Derek Simons

Posted: 3/10/08

It is unlikely the former head of the Sprint Nextel Corporation ever imagined he would make a grand entrance into a hall - the band playing, the crowd clapping enthusiastically - while accompanied by a large, furry kangaroo. But University of Missouri System (UM) President Gary Forsee was all smiles as he was officially welcomed to UMKC on Friday afternoon in Pierson Auditorium.

At an hour when many have usually headed home for the weekend, a large and varied representation of people from the campus showed up to grab a few minutes of intimate conversation with Forsee. And it had to be intimate. The UMKC Conservatory Concert Jazz Band, as excellent as they are, drowned out anything less than mouth-to-ear exchanges.

Speaking briefly from the podium, Forsee conveyed a sense of humility about what he still has to learn, but also a sense of urgency.

"I want to find out very quickly what we need to support the University of Missouri-Kansas City and make what's already a great place even better," Forsee said. "I have had the chance to be at Jeff City several times in the last few weeks. I figured out pretty quickly that I could get by for a little while saying, 'I'm excited and thrilled to be here,' but then I better start having something else to say."

After his short speech, Forsee returned to mingling with those gathered for the event, but eventually found it simpler just to stay put, as an informal line formed wherever he went. People seemed happy to wait even 40 or 50 minutes for their turns, and the president found time for each and every one. He was literally the last person to leave the auditorium.

Afterward, sitting down with the University News, Forsee finally had time to express his own thoughts on a wide variety of issues.

dsimons@unews.com

State funding:

"There is certainly lots of competition for the dollars the state has available to invest," he said. "... I think that puts a very high premium on transparency, on providing results, feedback for the dollars we receive."

He mentioned earlier to the audience how state funding has dropped from 58 to 34 percent.

"I think knowledge about what we do for the state, that we are an economic engine for the state, that our ability to be competitive in the future is going to require having a trained and educated citizenry," Forsee said. "Philosophically, I don't think it makes much sense to look in the past and say, 'I wish we could restore a 60 percent funding model.' That's not a reality.

"I think we have to be creative within the state and within the university system in finding ways to offset that gap that's been created in the last 10 to 15 years."

Residential vs. commuter campus:

"I think it's a question of meeting the needs of our community, and, at the same time, we know that retention is improved with the quality of campus life," Forsee said.

UMKC will provide a great education for those who want to transfer here and take advantage of the campus housing, according to Forsee, but he said many in the community don't need or desire that option.

"I think what Chancellor [Guy] Bailey is doing, which I support, is we want a balance," Forsee said. "We had precious little of that environment, and so I think he's trying to find that equilibrium of support."

Emergency alert system:

"Part of it is my previous life in technology and communications, and also I had some additional roles at the national level with Homeland Security and with my role on the Presidential Telecommunications Advisory Council, so I've been particularly attuned to this," Forsee said. "My company had supported tech on campuses, had supported some of these kinds of systems."

He said even before his official start as UM president on Feb. 18, he did a review in January of what was in place, and what were the attitudes of the students, faculty and staff.

Forsee emphasized the two sides of the equation: being prepared for emergencies in the community and on campus, and the response mechanism that requires training and education.

"I wouldn't sit here and suggest that alert systems are the end-all," he said. "I'm going to continue to encourage registration. .?.?. We will assess over time whether we move that to more of a requirement, but I think privacy is part of that discussion. ... I think opting in is something that everyone should want to do for their own personal safety."

Taking strong public positions on issues:

"I've made it very clear where I stand on academic freedom," Forsee said. "I've had questions about affirmative action and our ability for having a diverse campus, and a diverse experience for our students is part of that."

He said he intends to be an advocate for the university and all it stands for.

"There is a time for the university voice to be heard on certain deliberations, and times when it's not appropriate for it to be heard," Forsee said.

Role of UMKC Trustees:

"I think it's incredibly important to have strong alumni support and, at the same time, particularly with our urban campuses in Kansas City and St. Louis, to have community support," Forsee said.

Forsee was on the Board of Trustees for the Missouri University of Science and Technology, formerly known as University of Missouri-Rolla.

"I obviously have a depth of knowledge with the Rolla Trustees and I know the quality and capability of that group," he said. "I think the quality and capability of the Kansas City Trustees is incredible. ..?. Great cities have great universities. That's a role we play uniquely in Kansas City."